DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
Seton Hall
Softball Falls to Seton Hall in Game Three
4/2/2017 12:00:00 AM | SOFTBALL
CHICAGO - DePaul softball dropped its final game of the three-game series 7-6 to Seton Hall on Sunday afternoon at Cacciatore Stadium.
DePaul (15-15, 2-3 BIG EAST) rallied to take a 5-4 lead over the Pirates (16-13-1, 3-3 BIG EAST) in the bottom of the sixth inning, but could not come back after Seton Hall scored three runs in the top of the final inning.
Seton Hall clinched the series 2-1 with the win.
Nicole Pihl led the way for the Blue Demons with two hits, two RBI and a run. Micah Fitzgerald, Alysia Rodriguez and Brianna Viles also added two hits each.
Missy Zoch suffered the loss in the circle. She replaced Kennedy Garcia after five innings with Seton Hall leading 4-1. Zoch allowed three earned runs on four hits and struck out three in the 11 batters she faced.
Garcia struck out two and allowed three earned runs (one unearned) on 11 hits.
Madison Strunk got the win for the Pirates in the circle. She replaced Reganne Camp in the sixth inning after DePaul tallied five runs off the starting pitcher.
Seton Hall jumped ahead early, scoring two runs in the first inning. With two runners in scoring position and one out, Destini Peck hit a hard ground ball up the middle to plate both runners home.
In the top of the second, the Pirates scored again, this time on a two-out error.
Seton Hall added another run in the top of the fifth before DePaul responded with its first run of the game in the bottom of the inning. Nicole Pihl hit a solo home run, her eighth of the season, over the center field fence to put the score 4-1.
Morgan Greenwood led off DePaul's big sixth inning with a single to center. She reached third after Rodriguez doubled. The two scored after Viles found a gap in center field to notch a double. Viles reached third off a Fitzgerald single and was replaced by pinch runner Ana Greik. Greik went on to tie the game 4-4 off a RBI single from Pihl. Megan Leyva kept it rolling for the Blue Demons with a single through the left side of the infield to score Fitzgerald and put DePaul ahead 5-4.
Seton Hall tallied its final runs in the top of the seventh. With bases loaded and two outs, Alexis Walkden doubled and scored all three runners home.
DePaul attempted to come back in the bottom of the seventh after Jessica Cothern led off the inning with a home run, but fell short after the Blue Demons next three batters got out.
Up next, DePaul travels in-state for two midweek games. The squad faces Loyola on Tuesday, April 4 at 4 p.m. and Illinois State on Wednesday, April 5 at 5 p.m.
