Blue Demons to Meet Illinois State on Tuesday

Tuesday, April 13

Normal, Ill.

5:00 P.M. CT

DePaul University

Illinois State

Blue Demons to Meet Illinois State on Tuesday

4/12/2021 6:51:00 PM | SOFTBALL

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DePaul is 9-7 in non-conference matchups this season

CHICAGO – DePaul softball will step outside of conference play for a non-conference matchup at Illinois State on Tuesday evening. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. at Marian Kneer Stadium.

The Blue Demons are 16-8 overall, 9-7 in non-league contests and 7-1 in BIG EAST play. DePaul has won nine of their last 10 games.

Illinois State is 20-5 on the season and 7-1 in the Missouri Valley. The Redbirds have won 17 of their last 19 contests.

Live coverage of Tuesday's action can be found on ESPN+.

DePaul at a Glance: DePaul has relied on all 10 members of its lineup to contribute to the squad's success. The balanced offensive production has seen five different Blue Demon bats produce 20+ hits. Seniors Jessica Cothern and Angela Scalzitti share the team-high with 25 hits apiece. Kate Polucha and Maranda Gutierrez lead the squad with 15 RBI's. Polucha and Cothern have held the heavy bats with five and four home runs, respectively. In the circle, the Blue Demons have relied on a veteran 1-2 punch in Krista Dalgarn and Natalie Halvorson. The duo is 14-5 on the season and have thrown a combined 132 of DePaul's 162 innings played.

Scouting Illinois State: Illinois State last took the field on April 3 as they saw their weekend series against Missouri State slated for April 10-11 rained out. Illinois State is off to one of their best starts in nearly three decades, and have dropped contests to nationally ranked Kentucky, Tennessee and Clemson. Junior Mack Leonard leads the way for the Redbirds behind the plate. Leonard ranks first on the team in batting average (.410), hits (32), RBI (22) and home runs (5). Morgan Day and Leonard share the majority of the pitching responsibility. Day is 11-4 on the season with a 1.83 ERA and 153 strikeouts.

Series Stuff: The Blue Demons hold the narrow margin in the series 20-17-1. The two teams first met back in 1986 and most recently matched up in 2019. DePaul won the last meeting between the two squads 6-5 in nine innings. Kate Polucha reached on a double to center field before Angela Scalzitti brought her home on a double of her own to score the deciding run and clinch the victory for DePaul.

Dalgarn, Scalzitti Earn BIG EAST Weekly Honors: Krista Dalgarn and Angela Scalzitti earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday. Dalgarn went 1-1 on the week and threw a complete game at Villanova. The senior pitcher picked up a win in relief on Wednesday in a non-conference matchup with Northern Illinois. Dalgarn recorded a 1.83 ERA on the two appearances. Scalzitti batted .429, tallied three hits and drew three walks across three games. The senior center fielder registered her eighth double of the season in a 3-2 win over Villanova after tallying an RBI single in DePaul's comeback win over Northern Illinois on Wednesday.

Last Time Out: DePaul split a doubleheader with BIG EAST foe Villanova on April 10 before the series finale was canceled due to rain. Villanova edged the Blue Demons 2-0 in the first game, before DePaul outlasted the Wildcats 3-2 in game two. Skylor Hilger scored on a passed ball, before Kate Polucha and Jessica Cothern tallied RBI singles in the seventh inning. Cothern's base hit was the 200th of her career.

Next Up: DePaul will return to BIG EAST action April 17-18 as the Creighton Bluejays visit Cacciatore Stadium for a weekend series. Saturday's doubleheader is set to begin at 12 p.m.