Blue Demons Finish BIG EAST Play 20-0

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The No. 14 DePaul softball team closed out the regular season by sweeping a doubleheader from Rutgers on Sunday at the Rutgers Softball Complex. The Blue Demons shutout the Scarlet Knights in both games winning game one, 8-0, in five innings and taking game two, 5-0.

DePaul (40-10, 20-0 BIG EAST) finished the BIG EAST Conference season with an untarnished record and became just the second school in the league's history to win 20 games. Only four teams have gone through the BIG EAST season unbeaten since the league began sponsoring softball in 1992. The 2007 Blue Demons join the Notre Dame teams from 2001 and 1999, and the 1992 Connecticut team, who also went unbeaten in league play.

Blue Demon pitchers Tracie Adix (17-2) and Becca Heteniak (18-5) showed why they are two of the best pitchers in the league as they shutout the Scarlet Knights (20-34, 7-15). The pair threw nine shutouts during conference play and Heteniak threw a no-hitter at Villanova on Saturday.

Adix threw game one against Rutgers and gave up just two hits and struck out four. Heteniak followed suit and threw a one-hitter in game two. The freshman bewildered the Scarlet Knight batters as she struck out 12 of the 25 batters she faced. Heteniak walked three in her seven innings of work.

Junior first baseman Marcy Wilus went 4-for-5 on the day. She smashed three home runs and finished the day with four RBI. Sophomore catcher Jackie Tarulli-Fisher also went 4-for-5 and ended the day with a pair of RBI.

The Blue Demons posted runs in the third and fifth frames of game one. Shea Warren and Sandy Vojik led off the third inning with back-to-back singles. Vojik plated Warren and later scored on Tarulli-Fisher's sacrifice fly. Wilus rounded out the scoring in the third with a solo home run to left field.

DePaul batted around the order and registered five runs in the fifth inning. Vojik, Amber Patton and Tarulli-Fisher led off the frame with singles. Vojik and Patton were unable to score as Vojik was picked off trying to steal home and Patton was thrown out attempting to advance to third on Tarulli-Fisher's base knock. With two outs, Heteniak pulled a double down the left field line to score Tarulli-Fisher.

The Blue Demons closed out the scoring with RBI's from centerfielder Linda Secka, left fielder Stephanie Blagaich and second baseman Jessica Evans.

Nicole Freeman (1-10) suffered the loss for Rutgers in game one. She gave up 11 hits, walked two and was charged with four of the Blue Demons eight runs.

Brittany Loisel registered both of the Scarlet Knights' hits in game one with a single and a double.

Game two saw the Blue Demons pick up where they left off as they recorded eight hits. Wilus also became the first Blue Demon this season to record two home runs in one game.

Vojik and Wilus both smashed solo home runs in the first inning. Vojik's came on an 2-0 count and cleared the right field wall while, Wilus' long ball sailed over the center field fence and gave the Blue Demons a 2-0 lead.

Wilus put the Blue Demons up 4-0 with her third home run of the day in the fourth inning. Wilus' two-run homer scored Tarulli-Fisher, who singled up the middle to begin the frame.

DePaul scored its final run in the fifth inning on Tarulli-Fisher's third single of the game.

Chrissy Yard (10-12) took the loss for the Scarlet Knights and threw the first three innings before being replaced by Carissa Conroy. The pair struck out four and walked one.

The Blue Demons are the No. 1 seed at the BIG EAST Championship May 10-12 at the Belleville Softball Complex in South Bend, Ind. The league is scheduled to announce the pairings and game times Sunday evening.

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