DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
Tennessee
No. 15/14 Tennessee Prevails 8-6 Over Softball
2/18/2017 12:00:00 AM | SOFTBALL
LAS CRUCES, N.M. - DePaul softball fell 8-6 to No. 15/14 Tennessee on Saturday evening in its second game of the day at the Troy Cox Classic.
DePaul (3-6) recorded three home runs in the defeat. Megan Leyva closed the game with two runs, home runs and RBI. Three other Blue Demons tallied two hits in the game.
Krista Dalgarn suffered the loss in the circle for DePaul.
Alex Brake earned the win for Tennessee (6-0) while Caylan Arnold was credited with the save.
DePaul scored in the top of the first inning with a solo home run from Leyva, her second of the season.
Tennessee jumped ahead with four runs in the bottom of the first. With bases loaded and one out, Kennedy Garcia walked The Big Orange's next batter to put the game at one even. Garcia struck out her next batter in the lone inning she pitched, but Megan Geer responded with a double down the left field line to score all three on base.
Tennessee scored an additional run in the second to pull ahead 5-1.
The Blue Demons etched three runs in the top of the third, all from homers. Micah Fitzgerald led off the inning with a single up the middle and scored after Dylan Christensen homered over the right field fence at next bat. Leyva followed Dylan Christensen's lead and knocked her second homer of the game right after to put the score at 5-4, causing Tennessee to pull starting pitcher Matty Moss for Kelsey Morrison.
In the top of the fourth, DePaul tied the game with a run. With one out, Alysia Rodriguez reached first after being hit by Morrison. She advanced to second off a wild pitch and scored after Haydn Christensen hit an RBI double to left field.
Tennessee scored its final three runs of the game in the bottom of the fourth off a three-run homer from Gregg.
In the top of the sixth, DePaul loaded the bases with two outs. Brake walked Jessica Cothern to score Haydn Christensen home, but the run would end after Nicole Pihl hit a fly out to center.
Caylan Arnold replaced Brake to pitch the final inning that did not see a DePaul hit.
Dalgarn finished the game with two strikeouts and four walks in five innings pitched.
Garcia struck out one and walked three out of the 10 batters she faced in the first inning.
DePaul is back for its final game at the Troy Cox Classic on Sunday at 10 a.m. CT. The Blue Demons face in-state foe Bradley.
