DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
Boise State
Timely Hitting Lifts DePaul Over Boise State in Extra Innings
3/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | SOFTBALL
DePaul 6, Boise State 5 (8 Inn.)
FULLERTON, Calif. - The DePaul softball team got back to its winning ways in dramatic fashion with a 6-5 victory over Boise State on Saturday afternoon. The Blue Demons (7-14) scored three runs between the seventh and eighth innings to snap their season-long, six-game losing streak.
Marsha' Pendilton and Mary Connolly shouldered the offense, both collecting multiple hits in the eight-inning affair.
Boise State (8-20) opened the scoring in the top of the first with a RBI single through the right side of the infield.
DePaul tied the game up in the second frame after Connolly doubled to lead off the inning. The senior later scored on two wild pitches.
The Broncos strung together five hits in the top of the third and plated two runs to go back on top, 3-1.
Two innings passed without any damage being done by both teams until the bottom of the fifth when the Blue Demons came to the dish.
Pendilton laced a single and scored on the next at-bat - a Megan Leyva double. Leyva also crossed home plate after an error from the shortstop, tying the score once again at 3-3.
It did not take long until Boise State again jumped ahead when a sacrifice fly in the sixth made it a 4-3 game in favor of the Broncos.
DePaul was down to its last out in the home half of the seventh when reigning BIG EAST Player of the Year, Connolly, flexed her muscles and smashed a ball over the left field fence.
As both teams were set for extra innings, Boise State went ahead for the fourth time in the game by one in the top of the eighth.
The Blue Demons responded by producing back-to-back run scoring plays - a RBI single by Micah Fitzgerald and a sacrifice fly from Morgan Maize - in the home half of the eighth to take the game and win its first contest of the weekend.
Connolly did it all for the Blue Demons as she also went the distance in the circle. The Winfield, Ill. native was steady all afternoon as she allowed on two earned runs in eight innings of work, striking out three.
DePaul closes out the Easton Tournament with a duel against Midwest foe Nebraska this evening.
Notes: This was the first meeting between the programs all-time... DePaul moves to 5-1 against teams from the Mountain West Conference since 2012... Marsha' Pendilton had a career-high with three hits... Pendilton also tied her personal-best mark of two runs... Mary Connolly moved into sole possession of third on DePaul's all-time home run list... Connolly picked up her fifth multi-hit game of the season... Staci Bonezek reached base safely for the third-straight game... the Blue Demons picked up their first win of the season when committing at least four errors... the team tied a season-best mark with three doubles... DePaul has won its last three extra-inning games and are 16-6 in those games in the last six-plus seasons.
