DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
Butler
Pihl Grand Slam Puts DePaul Past Butler in Game One
3/25/2017 12:00:00 AM | SOFTBALL
INDIANAPOLIS - The first of the three-game series between DePaul softball and Butler proved to be exciting with the Blue Demons etching a 7-2 victory in 11 innings at the Butler Softball Field on Saturday afternoon.
DePaul's (14-12) Nicole Pihl recorded a grand slam in the 11th inning to solidify the victory. The homer marked Pihl's lone hit of the game. Micah Fitzgerald went 3-for-4 at the plate, notching her first RBI of the season. Megan Leyva added two hits for the Blue Demons.
Missy Zoch pitched all 11 innings to earn her seventh win in the circle. She struck out five and allowed two earned runs on 10 hits out of the 41 batters she faced.
Gabbi Schnaiter suffered the loss for Butler (11-17).
DePaul etched the first run in the top of the third. With Pihl at the plate and two outs, Dylan Christensen stood at third and Haydn Christensen at first. The sister act went on to steal their next respective bases, Dylan Christensen's being home for the first run.
The Blue Demons scored again in the top of the fifth after Erin Andris doubled to center and then plated home off a sacrifice fly from Fitzgerald.
The Bulldogs tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. A double from Maggie MacBeth with runners on second and third tallied Butler's runs.
With the score locked at 2-2, the squads battled into the 11th inning. DePaul loaded the bases with one out as Haydn Christensen stepped to the plate and was hit by Schnaiter. Pihl batted next and knocked her first grand slam of the season over the right field fence for the final 7-2 score. The home run marks the seventh of the season for the current BIG EAST home run leader.
DePaul and Butler return to the field for game two this afternoon.
