DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
Syracuse
Verdun Strikes Out 27 in Doubleheader Split
4/25/2012 12:00:00 AM | SOFTBALL
April 25, 2012
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CHICAGO - Kirsten Verdun stood on the dugout step and tried to assume the blame for Wednesday's doubleheader split against Syracuse.
This is how she felt after pitching all 16 innings of the twin bill and amassing 27 strikeouts while winning the opener 3-2 and losing the nightcap 5-3 in nine innings.
Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh of game two, Allie Braden doubled to left field. She advanced to third on a fielder's choice and scored on a throwing error.
But in the top of the ninth, Stephanie Watts hit a game-winning, two-run home run over the left-field fence in Cacciatore Stadium.
"Pitching those extra innings was tough," Verdun said. "My legs were sore because it's the leg drive that keeps the arm going.
"Syracuse's batters had seen me a lot. I feel like I ran out of gas a little bit and let my team down. I've been running more because I know I have to pitch a lot. I have to work harder to get in better shape for my team."
In the opener, Verdun finished with a career-high 12 strikeouts. She surpassed that in game two with 15.
"Verdun had 12 strikeouts and only one walk in the first game but five walks in the second game," said DePaul coach Eugene Lenti. "She did a great job out, but ran out of gas.
"We have to find a way to bring down her pitch count and conserve her strength."
In the opener, Bree Brown's two-out bunt single caught Syracuse (35-12, 12-4 in the BIG EAST) by surprise. A throwing error enabled Allie Braden and Paige Peterson to score. Verdun's double down the right-field line drove in Lynsey Ciezki with the eventual game-winning run.
"That was a great game for us because we were able to score some early runs against a very good pitcher (ace Jenna Caira),"Lenti said. "We made things happen, pushed a few runs across and Verdun did a great job.
"We had noticed some things and I told Bree to bunt. She did a nice job on it, and that was the key to our win."
DePaul (28-18, 9-7) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap when Verdun scored on an error. The Orange tied it 1-1 in the second inning, and the Blue Demons regained the lead an inning later on Ciezki's RBI double.
Syracuse took a 3-2 lead in the top of the seventh on Veronica Grant's two-run homer. Grant was 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs.
The Blue Demons finish up a busy six-game week with a three-game series beginning Saturday at Seton Hall.
NOTES: In the doubleheader, Verdun was 2-for-6 with an RBI and a run... Brown was 2-for-6 with an RBI... Ciezki was 2-for-7 with an RBI and a run... Verdun pitched 16 innings and gave up five earned runs on 11 hits with 27 strikeouts and six walks... she held a high-powered Orange attack to a .196 batting average... Verdun and Ciezki will head to Seton Hall with five-game hitting streaks... on the season, Verdun leads the team in batting average (.368), home runs (nine), RBIs (37), hits (50) and walks (19)... Samantha Dodd is hitting .348 and Mary Connolly .304 with five home runs and 28 RBIs... Verdun is 20-11 with a 1.75 ERA and 194 strikeouts in 192 innings... opponents are batting .211 against her... the Blue Demons have outhit their opponents .275-.229 and outscored those teams 193-123.
