DePaul University Athletics
DePaul Embarks on Challenging Road Trip
4/17/2012 12:00:00 AM | SOFTBALL
April 17, 2012
CHICAGO - This is a high-impact week for DePaul in the BIG EAST Conference pennant race.
Beginning with Wednesday's 11 a.m. doubleheader at Connecticut, the Blue Demons play five league games---all on the road.
"This is a make-or-break week for us," said DePaul softball coach Eugene Lenti. "We're either going to stay with the pack or get separated from it.
"It's tough on the road, and if Connecticut (18-17, 7-5 in the BIG EAST) can beat first-place USF, that team can beat anyone. Notre Dame (21-13, 5-3) is always tough at home. This is going to be a challenging five games for us."
It's also the perfect time for the Blue Demon bats to come alive.
"Our offense has not been taking advantage of opportunities," Lenti said. "We scored six runs in the three-game series with Pittsburgh over the weekend. You're not going to do much scoring two runs a game.
"This week we'll need to score four or five runs every game to be successful. If not, you're setting yourself up for a loss.
"Last weekend, it was more a matter of not coming in with the proper focus. We let too many good pitches go by and chased too many bad pitches."
In spite of the low scoring, DePaul (25-13, 7-2) still won the series from Pittsburgh.
"The fact that we won two of three was due to Kirsten Verdun and her pitching," Lenti said. "It was nothing that the offense did."
Verdun was 4-0 last week with a 0.72 ERA and pitched a three-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts on Sunday. She was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll for the fifth time this season.
In her last nine starts, the reigning BIG EAST Rookie of the Year is 8-1 with a 0.69 ERA. She has given up just six runs in 61 innings, and opponents have hit just .168 against her.
Backing up Verdun is a defense that sports the seventh-best fielding percentage in the country.
Verdun and the DePaul pitching staff will be looking to keep the ball in the park Wednesday against a Huskies team that has hit 36 home runs. The foursome of Amy Vaughan, Kim Silva, Emily O'Donnell and Marissa Guches has combined for 28 home runs and 95 RBIs.
"Connecticut's strength is offense, and we'll have to hold them down," Lenti said. "They scored 12 runs against (BIG EAST leader) USF in the three games.
"Pitching doesn't seem to be their strength, but we've struggled at times against all kinds of pitching. We'll have to outslug the Huskies unless our pitching can hold them down."
The Blue Demons finish the week with a three-game series Saturday and Sunday at Notre Dame. Fighting Irish ace Laura Winter is 14-8 with a 2.17 ERA and 164 strikeouts in 145.1 innings. The offense is headed by Amy Buntin (.350, six home runs, 31 RBIs) and Dani Miller (.330, seven homers, 31 RBIs).
"Notre Dame has two good starting pitchers, and this is a solid hitting team," Lenti said. "The Fighting Irish are always a formidable opponent, and they are one of our biggest rivals."
