DePaul University Athletics
Eight-Game Winning Streak Snapped in Loss to Illinois State
4/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | SOFTBALL
NORMAL, Ill. - All good things must come to an end, and that's what happened to DePaul's eight-game winning streak on Tuesday,
The Blue Demons didn't appear to have their usual intensity in falling 5-1 to Missouri Valley Conference leader Illinois State.
"Our team was kind of listless with no enthusiasm today," said DePaul coach Eugene Lenti. "That could be the after-effect playing so many intense conference games.
"It was probably a bad game to schedule at this time of the season."
The Blue Demons had won eight BIG EAST Conference games in a row, outscoring their opponents by a whopping 66-19 and batting .412 in that span.
Dating back to April 10, DePaul (29-15) has played 13 consecutive BIG EAST games, going 11-2.
Losing pitcher Bree Brown (13-5) had been inducing ground balls while winning six straight games during the winning streak.
"But she was the old Bree today," Lenti said about Brown surrendering three home runs---two by ex-Bartlett High School star Elizabeth Kay. "Lindsey Dean came in and did a good job (two innings, one run, three hits)."
Illinois State (28-14) seized a 3-0 lead after Kay's solo shot in the second inning and her two-run homer over the left-field fence an inning later. Beth Current took Brown deep with a solo shot in the fourth inning.
The Blue Demons appeared to be headed for one of their patented big innings when Sean Plese, Tara Voss and Brittney Yniguez led off the fourth with singles to load the bases.
But unlike the last eight times when they came up with a big inning in every game, this one didn't materialize. Becca Heteniak hit into a fielder's choice with Plese forced out at home.
Samantha Dodd did deliver a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Voss. But that would be the extent of DePaul's offense on this day.
"We had the bases loaded, no outs, and we only got one run out of it," Lenti said. "Well, we got a poor game out of our system before we go back to BIG EAST play this weekend against Georgetown.
"This was a game that isn't going to hurt us. We lost a nonconference game to a very good team. But it won't affect us in the NCAAs and certainly not in the BIG EAST."
The Blue Demons will be looking to start a new winning streak in Saturday's doubleheader that begins at noon. At the single game on Sunday beginning at 11 a.m., DePaul will celebrate Senior Day and Alumni Day at Cacciatore Stadium.
NOTES: The hot-hitting Ciezki was 0-for-2 against ISU and had her five-game hitting streak come to an end... Dodd was 0-for-1 and had her five-game hitting streak snapped... Morocco was 1-for-3 and extended her team-leading hitting streak to eight games.... Voss and Yniguez have each hit safely in the last four games... Morocco, Plese, Voss and Yniguez each had one hit off winning pitcher Megan Warner... for the season, Morocco leads the Blue Demons with a .372 batting average and is also tops in doubles with nine and hits with 45... Plese is batting .358 and leads in stolen bases with nine... Yniguez is hitting .309 and tops the team in RBI with 23... Voss is at .303 and leads the team in home runs with five and runs scored with 32... the junior shortstop is also second in hits with 37 and second in RBI with 21... Shea Warren is batting .302 and Dodd is at an even .300... Heteniak is hitting .282 and leads the team in walks with 39... Marie Thompson is batting .277... Brown is now 13-5 with a 2.74 earned-run average... she has 143 strikeouts and 42 walks in 122.2 innings and opponents are hitting .217 against her... as a team, DePaul is hitting .285 compared to .209 for its opponents... the Blue Demons are outscoring the opposition 209-120.
