DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
Saint Mary's
Big Inning Dooms DePaul in Loss to St. Mary's
2/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | SOFTBALL
Box Score: St. Mary's 11, DePaul 9 
HONOLULU - DePaul fell behind early and was unable to come back in what was an 11-9 defeat at the hands of St. Mary's on Friday afternoon.
The Blue Demons (0-2) surrendered eight runs in the top half of the first inning, which proved to be enough for the Gaels (1-1) in their first win of the season.
Following an eight-run, eight-hit outburst by St. Mary's in which the Gaels went 6-for-7 with runners in scoring position, DePaul grabbed a trio of runs highlighted by a leadoff home run by Morgan Maize. Nicole Pihl picked up her first hit of the season with a bases-loaded, two-run double down the right field line.
The next two innings were clean on the scoreboard until a double and sacrifice fly gave the Gaels an 11-3 lead. In the home half of the fourth, Mary Connolly hit a rocket up the middle to score two runs for the Blue Demons and make it an 11-5 ballgame.
DePaul held St. Mary's to just two more hits over the next three innings to set the table for one final push.
With runners on and two outs in the sixth inning, Ali Lenti jumped on the first pitch she saw and hit the ball past the shortstop to bring the margin down to five at 11-6.
The Blue Demons notched another clean inning in the top half of the seventh. Down to its final three outs, DePaul managed to make the game very nervy highlighted by an RBI double from Connolly and a two-run single up the gut by Dylan Christensen.
Naomi Tellez had the final chance for DePaul and put a drive into a ball in the gap, but the speed of the St. Mary's outfield was too much as it hauled in for the game's final out.
Connolly paced the DePaul offense, going 4-for-5 with three RBI. Christensen, Maize and Tellez collected two hits to highlight a season-best 18 hits by the Blue Demons.
Megan Leyva went the distance in her first career start on the mound. Despite giving up eight runs in the first, the freshman settled down and held the Gaels to just three runs on four hits over the final six innings of play.
DePaul returns to the diamond later this evening when it takes on host Hawaii. First pitch is slated for 9 p.m. Live stats for that nightcap can be found here as well as the live video feed here.
Notes: This was the first meeting between the programs all-time… DePaul has surrendered five-plus runs in an inning for the second straight game… Mary Connolly tied career-highs in at-bats (five), hits (four) and runs (three)… Micah Fitzgerald set a season-high with two hits… Ellie Forkin and Sabrina Kuchta each collected their first hits of their careers for DePaul… St. Mary's went 7-for-15 (.467) with runners in scoring position… the Blue Demons went 7-for-20 (.350) in that same category… DePaul got a leadoff hit in five of the seven innings.
