DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
Northwestern
Up-and-Down DePaul Falls to Northwestern
4/5/2011 12:00:00 AM | SOFTBALL
April 5, 2011
EVANSTON, Ill. - It must have felt like a roller-coaster ride for the Blue Demons on Tuesday.
First, they were up. Then, they were down.
And after battling to the last strike, DePaul was upended by Northwestern 6-5 in a nonconference game at Sharon Drysdale Field.
Coming off an energizing three-game sweep of St. John's over the weekend, the Blue Demons seized a 4-0 lead against the talented and offensively explosive Wildcats.
Sean Plese (3-for-3, three runs) opened the game with a one-out bunt single. Kirsten Verdun singled, but was forced out on a Katelyn Braget fielder's choice. Samantha Dodd came through with a two-out, two-run single to score Plese and pinch-runner Sarah Shizas.
DePaul (20-11) scored twice more in the third. Plese walked and scored on Verdun's double to center field. Two plays later, Verdun scored on an error.
"We hit the ball well today, and Sean did a great job," said DePaul coach Eugene Lenti. "She got on base every time and really was the spark for us today."
Give Blue Demon ace Verdun a four-run head-start and most days, you'll be all smiles after seven innings.
This wasn't "most days."
Northwestern (17-9) cut the lead in half with RBI singles from Adrienne Monka and ex-Glenbrook North star Kelly Quinn in the third inning.
"I took Verdun out after three innings because she wasn't pitching well," Lenti said. "She had trouble locating her pitches. She gave up seven hits and a walk.
"But Bree Brown was even worse."
Northwestern loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth with two singles and a hit-by-pitcher. Up to the plate stepped power-hitting former Glenbard North All-Stater Michelle Batts.
"I know Michelle very well and have watched her play her entire career," Lenti said. "She will chase a riseball up and in.
"That's what we called for. The pitch didn't rise, and it wasn't in."
Batts made contact, and her grand slam gave the Wildcats a 6-4 lead.
DePaul was down, but not out.
Plese led off the seventh with a single, watched Verdun go down swinging and advanced to second on Katelyn Braget's groundout.
Dodd dug down deep and ripped a two-out single with Plese scoring on an error by the shortstop. Lenti called on Lindsey Dean to pinch-hit for Lynsey Ciezki, and Dean delivered with a clutch double.
With the tying run on third and go-ahead run on second, Marla Mathews was given an opportunity to be a hero.
NU relief pitcher Sammy Albanese struck Mathews out.
"We had a great offensive spark with a lot of quality at-bats," Lenti said. "We should have scored even more. We got that 4-0 lead and sat on it. We didn't keep the pressure on.
"The offense was clicking with 11 hits and our defense was solid. With any kind of pitching, we win this one.
"It's the first time this season both Kirsten and Bree were off their games at the same time.
"We picked the wrong game for both to be ineffective."
The Blue Demons return to BIG EAST Conference action this weekend with a three-game series at Villanova. It begins with a Saturday doubleheader at 11 a.m. and concludes with a Sunday single game starting at 10 a.m.
NOTES: Plese was on base four times with three singles and a walk while scoring three runs... Dodd was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Verdun was 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored... Braget, Brittney Yniguez, Allie Braden and Dean (double) each had one hit... Alex Morocco saw her seven-game hitting streak come to an end while Plese extended her hitting streak to five games and Dodd to four... Dean now has a three-game hitting streak... on the season, Plese leads DePaul with a .474 batting average followed by Morocco at .406, Dodd at .323, Verdun at .321 and Braget at .268... Morocco leads in hits with 41 and runs with 19... Verdun leads in home runs with seven, RBIs with 23 and walks with 24... the Blue Demons are batting .260 as a team compared to .238 for their opponents... DePaul has outscored its opposition 129-108 and committed 22 errors compared to 45 for its opponents... Verdun is 12-3 in the circle with a 1.82 earned-run average... Dean is 3-4 with a 2.53 ERA... Brown is 5-4 with a 4.36 ERA.
