DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
Rutgers
Mathews, Dodd Have a Blast on Redemption Island
4/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | SOFTBALL
April 22, 2011
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. - Redemption couldn't have been any sweeter for Marla Mathews and Samantha Dodd on Good Friday.
First came Mathews' dramatic game-tying, two-run home run in the top of the seventh.
Then in the 10th inning, Dodd blasted a game-winning, three-run homer in DePaul's wild 15-10 comeback victory over Rutgers.
It gave the Blue Demons a BIG EAST Conference sweep after winning the opener 9-4 and kept this offensive juggernaut in first place while riding an eight-game winning streak.
"This was just a tremendous effort---phenomenal," said DePaul coach Eugene Lenti about the season-highs of 15 runs and 18 hits. "I haven't seen anything like this in a long time.
"We were down 9-5 in the top of the sixth with just six outs to go, and this team never gave up. Everyone battled so hard with every at-bat."
DePaul (28-11, 12-1 in the BIG EAST) scored twice in the sixth courtesy of a pair of Rutgers errors.
In the top of the seventh, Lindsey Dean led off with a single and Mathews followed with her drive well beyond the right-field fence.
"I've been waiting for something like this for weeks, and it was so huge for me," said Mathews who has been mired in a slump most of the season and came into the Rutgers series batting .113. "It's about time I start getting myself right.
"I was just looking to hit the ball hard. I knew it was gone right away. Everyone was screaming and going crazy---it was the best feeling."
Mathews ripped a one-out single in the top of the ninth and watched from the dugout as pinch-runner Sarah Shizas advanced to third on Lynsey Ciezki's base hit.
Brittney Yniguez's sacrifice fly scored Shizas for a 10-9 lead, but Rutgers (18-25, 6-8) tied it on Lindsey Curran's RBI single.
Alex Morocco was hit by a pitch leading off the 10th inning and moved to second on Sean Plese's sacrifice bunt. Then, Blue Demon slugger Kirsten Verdun was walked.
"That was the third time she was walked ahead of me, and I was kind of offended," Dodd said. "I had done well in the first game (two hits, two RBIs) and had some good at-bats in the second game.
"I didn't understand why they kept walking Kirsten. So, that first pitch, I took it out.
"I love to be at bat in those situations to come through for my team, and I am doing fabulous right now."
Speaking of fabulous, the Blue Demons have scored an eye-popping 107 runs in their last 12 games. That's an average of virtually nine runs a game in winning 11 of the last 12.
They have outscored teams 107-43 in this stretch.
"We've been spending 80 percent of our practices working on hitting," Lenti said. "We've also been doing tons of situational hitting, and it's all paying off.
"Without a doubt, there's a feeling now that this team can overcome almost any deficit. They are hitting with a lot of confidence."
Overshadowed by all the offensive pyrotechnics was Dean's stellar relief effort.
The senior right-hander earned her second save of the season in game one and pitched six innings of one-run ball to earn the win in game two.
"We kept telling our pitchers they had to hold down the other team after we'd score, but Rutgers kept coming back," Lenti said. "Lindsey really saved us today when Kirsten and Bree (Brown) weren't very sharp."
After Verdun gave up four runs on seven hits in the opener, Dean finished up with three hitless innings.
After Brown had given up nine runs on nine hits in the first four innings of game two, Dean (5-4) scattered eight hits over the final six innings to earn the win.
In the end, it was the offense that once again carried the team.
"It had been cloudy and cold all day," Mathews said. "When Sam hit her home run, we all started screaming and the sun came out.
"It was awesome."
The Blue Demons hope to keep the offense rolling at a 10 a.m. series finale Saturday at the RU Softball Complex.
NOTES: Mathews was 3-for-4 with the home run, three RBIs and two runs against Rutgers... Lynsey Ciezki was 4-for-6 with two RBIs and two runs, including a two-run double in the 10th... Verdun hit her team-leading 10th home run in a four-run fourth inning that gave DePaul a temporary 5-4 lead... Rutgers scored five in the bottom of the fourth for a 9-5 lead... Verdun finished 2-for-3 with two runs, an RBI and three walks... Dodd had two hits, three RBIs, two runs... Katelyn Braget and Morocco each had two hits while Plese, Dean and Shizas had one hit apiece... Brittney Lindley was 4-for-5 for Rutgers with two home runs and five RBIs... in the last 12 games, DePaul is hitting .374 as a team and has outscored opponents 107-43... Megan Coronado is batting .556 in that span followed by Verdun (.529, 19 RBIs), Shizas (.500), Plese (.444), Dodd (.442, 15 RBIs), Morocco (.419), Allie Braden (.412), Dean (.375), Ciezki (.344) and Mathews (.300)... on the season, Morocco leads the Blue Demons with a .409 batting average and is tops on the team in hits with 54 and runs with 28... Plese is hitting .406 and is followed by Verdun (.369, 10 home runs, 36 RBIs, 37 walks), Dodd (.354) and Shizas (.333)... in the circle, Dean is 17-3 with a 2.38 earned-run average while Dean is 5-4 with a 2.16 ERA... Brown is 6-4 with a 4.61 ERA... in BIG EAST games, DePaul is hitting .337 as a team and has outscored its conference opponents 102-38.
