DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
Indiana
Morocco & Morgan Spark No. 25 DePaul
2/19/2011 12:00:00 AM | SOFTBALL
Feb. 19, 2011
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Alex Morocco was ready for a break from the drama and tension of a one-run game.
Taking matters into her own capable hands, the senior leadoff batter had three hits and two RBIs in sparking No. 25 DePaul to a 7-3 victory over Indiana Friday night at the USF Tournament.
DePaul (6-1) had won three of its first six games this season by that narrowest of margins.
This time, it would be different.
The Blue Demons jumped on highly regarded Indiana starter Morgan Melloh for three runs in the second inning and scored four more in the third off Melloh and relief pitcher Jessica Dobson as Indiana fell to 3-4.
"It was great to score seven runs early," said Morocco, who also had a two-run triple in DePaul's 3-2 victory over Mississippi earlier on Friday. "That took a lot of pressure off our defense and Bree (starting pitcher Bree Brown).
"I didn't think. I just went up there looking to swing. I had taken too many strikes in the first five games."
Brittney Yniguez walked and Allie Braden singled in the top of the second. Ali Warren came through in her first start of the season with an RBI single. Lynsey Ciezki's groundout scored Braden and Morocco's single brought in Warren to make it 3-0.
An inning later, Kirsten Verdun and Yniguez both walked and came hustling around on Samantha Morgan's first hit of the season---a triple down the left-field line.
"Sam isn't our fastest player, so we were all laughing and enjoying watching her run all the way to third," Morocco said. "It was an awesome hit."
Pinch-runner Brown scored on an error and another Morocco hit sent Warren home.
"We left a lot of runners on base and couldn't score when we had opportunities in the later innings," said DePaul coach Eugene Lenti. "I guess we got a little complacent once we got ahead 7-0.
"Then again, we did score seven runs off of quality pitching. And, Bree looked better today."
Brown had won two games at last weekend's FIU Combat Classic in Miami, but had given up 11 runs, 19 hits and three home runs in 14 innings.
On Friday, Brown (3-0) gave up three runs and scattered eight hits with five strikeouts and no walks. She was the beneficiary of her team's 10-hit offensive.
Lenti lauded Marla Mathews' game-winning RBI single in the top of the eighth inning against Mississippi along with Morocco's triple.
"Those were key hits by key players," Lenti said. "Last week, it was the freshmen who had many of the big hits. Today, it was the older kids."
Next up for Lenti & Co. is a 2 p.m. matchup against Alabama-Birmingham.
NOTES: DePaul was the only team in the tournament field to go 2-0 on Friday... Indiana, Mississippi, Fordham and Alabama-Birmingham all went 1-1 and host USF was 0-2... the Blue Demons can clinch the tournament title with wins over UAB and Fordham on Saturday... along with Morocco's three hits against Indiana, Samantha Dodd had a pair of hits and Verdun (double), Yniguez, Braden, Morgan and Warren each had one hit... Yniguez and Warren each scored twice... it was quite a day for Warren as the sophomore catcher registered her first hit, run, RBI and stolen base during her first start of the season... Morgan picked up her first hit and RBI... Brown scored her first run of 2011... on the day, Morocco was 4-for-8 with four RBIs, a triple, double and stolen base... she is now 5-for-5 in stolen bases... Yniguez scored three runs in the two games... Dodd leads the team with a .400 batting average followed by Katelyn Braget (.364), Morocco (.346) and Allie Braden, Sean Plese and Warren at .333... Dodd's 10 hits are tops and Morocco is second with nine... Mathews leads in RBIs with six and Verdun has five... Morocco has a five-game hitting streak and has gone hitless just once this season... Lindsey Dean is 1-0 with a 0.00 earned run average... Verdun is 2-1 with a 2.77 ERA and Brown is 3-0 with a 6.00 ERA.
