DePaul University
Providence
Verdun Nearly Perfect in Win Over Providence
5/5/2012 12:00:00 AM | SOFTBALL
May 5, 2012
CHICAGO - It's true that nobody is perfect, but Kirsten Verdun came very close on Saturday.
The DePaul ace took a perfect game into the seventh inning and came away with a two-hitter in the Blue Demons' 2-0 BIG EAST Conference victory over Providence.
After setting down the first 18 batters in a row, Verdun had quite the auspicious start in the top of the seventh when hit Providence's Michelle Huber with a pitch.
But wait just a minute. Verdun quickly asked the home plate umpire to confer with his colleagues as Huber appeared to lean into the changeup.
"I rarely talk to an umpire, but this time I asked him to talk about it with the other umpires," Verdun said. "It's nothing against the Providence batter. She is trying to get on base any way she can."
After a conference, the home plate umpire reversed his call and motioned Huber back to the batter's box.
"In the back of my mind, I knew I had a perfect game going," Verdun said. "But in that last inning, I was more focused on just getting outs."
Huber wound up slicing a single to short left field, just out of the reach of hustling shortstop Allie Braden. It was Braden who had made a brilliant backhand play in the hole and thrown out Kaitlyn Duval for the final out of the sixth inning.
"I didn't know about the perfect game at the time, said Braden who had a single and an RBI and was a big part of the DePaul offense in Saturday's doubleheader. "KB (Katelyn Braget) mentioned it to me after that. It was a little nerve-wracking in the seventh inning.
"Looking back on it now, if she had done it, I would have been a contributor to it."
Verdun had all the run support she would need when Paige Peterson singled to left in the second, advanced on a walk and fielder's choice and scored on a wild pitch.
An inning later, Mary Connolly ripped a two-out double, took third on Braget's single and came home on Braden's hit.
"The difference for Verdun from game one is very simple---she didn't walk anybody," said DePaul coach Eugene Lenti as the Blue Demons fell 3-2 in the opener. "Make the other team earn everything.
"Don't walk anybody, and turn it over to your defense. We've got one of the best defenses in the country."
In addition to Braden's gem at shortstop, first basemen Bree Brown and second baseman Lynsey Ciezki teamed up on a nice play in the fifth inning to preserve the perfect game.
Jessie Bryant's hard grounder deflected off Brown's glove, but a vigilant Ciezki was there to gather the carom and throw Bryant out.
An inning earlier, Brown snared a line drive that was ticketed for a hit down the right-field line.
"I've never taken a perfect game into the seventh inning in my college career," said Verdun, who had four perfect games her senior year at Coal City High School. "The defense behind me was amazing.
"Allie made that great play deep in the hole at shortstop and Bree and Lynsey teamed up to take away a hit."
Verdun improved her record to 24-12 as the Blue Demons went to 33-19, 13-8 in the BIG EAST.
When she takes the mound on Sunday, it will be her 37th start of the season---tying her for the third-most starts in a season in DePaul history.
Verdun & Co. close out the regular season on Sunday against Providence (17-35, 7-13) with an 11 a.m. game at Cacciatore Stadium.
After the game, Ciezki, Braget and Marla Mathews will be honored at a special Senior Day ceremony.
NOTES: Verdun needs five strikeouts on Sunday to notch the fourth-highest single-season total... if she pitches six innings, Verdun will move into the fifth spot with innings pitched in a season... two more wins and she will be tied for fourth in wins for a season... if she goes the distance on Sunday, Verdun will be tied for fifth in complete games... Mathews had her first at-bat of the season on Saturday after being sidelined with a back injury, and the senior slugger hit a deep fly ball to left field... Braden was 3-for-6 in the doubleheader with two runs and an RBI... Peterson was 3-for-3 with two walks, an RBI and a run... Connolly was 4-for-7 in the twin bill with a run scored.
