Sunday, April 18
Chicago, Ill.
12:00 P.M. CT
DePaul University
19-9, 10-1
10
vs
2
Creighton
13-11, 8-7
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Creighton
1
0
0
1
0
2
7
0
DePaul
0
0
2
8
X
10
8
1
Eight-Run Fourth Inning Leads DePaul Past Creighton for Series Sweep
4/18/2021 4:03:00 PM | SOFTBALL
Blue Demons move to 10-1 in BIG EAST games
CHICAGO – The DePaul softball team put up an eight-run fourth inning on Sunday afternoon to take down Creighton 10-2 in five innings and claim the series sweep.
DePaul (19-9, 10-1 BIG EAST) remained undefeated at Cacciatore Stadium with the victory and has swept three of four BIG EAST series played this season.
Despite trailing 1-0 after one inning, the Blue Demons displayed poise and patience behind the plate and saw success in the third and fourth innings as six different batters tallied an RBI.
Nicole Sullivan picked up right where she left off on Saturday with a two-for-two day including a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth inning to give DePaul an eight-run lead. Maranda Gutierrez hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the third to jump start the Blue Demons offense.
In the circle, Krista Dalgarn received the start and went 3.2 innings while surrendering six hits and two runs. Natalie Halvorson relieved Dalgarn in the bottom of the third inning and saw 1.1 innings of work and gave up just one hit and no runs to earn the win and improve to 7-4 on the season.
The Bluejays struck first to claim their first lead of the weekend. Brittney Manthie reached on a leadoff walk and was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Ashley Cantu advanced Manthie on a ground out before Kailey Wilson brought her home with an infield single to put Creighton up 1-0.
DePaul recorded two hits and left a combined five runners on base between the first and second inning.
In the top of the third, Creighton threatened with runners at second and third with one out before Wilson grounded to Gutierrez and the senior ignited a 6-4-3 double play to get out of the jam and end the inning.
The bottom of the inning saw Jessica Cothern draw a leadoff walk before Gutierrez took a ball to right center and put the Blue Demons on top, 2-1.
Creighton (13-11, 8-7 BIG EAST) tied the game in the top of the fourth with three hits before Halvorson entered the circle and induced the final out of the inning to leave the bases loaded.
The Blue Demons saw an offensive outburst in the bottom of the fourth inning to grab ahold of the lead for good. Sullivan tapped a leadoff single to right field before being forced out at second on a Grace Frazier fielder's choice. Angela Scalzitti drew a walk and Kate Polucha singled down the third base line to load the bases. Cothern drove in an RBI with a single back to the Creighton pitcher to give DePaul a 3-2 advantage. After a Bluejays change in the circle, Brooke Johnson reached on a fielder's choice and pushed Scalzitti across the plate in the process for a two-run Blue Demons advantage. Gutierrez drew a walk to load the bases once again. Skylor Hilger came to the plate and reached base on a walk to push Cothern across the plate before Gabby O'Riley was hit by a pitch to plate Johnson and increase the lead to 6-2 with the bases loaded and two gone. Sullivan came back to the plate for the second time in the inning and blasted a two-strike, two-out grand slam over the left center wall as the DePaul advantage ballooned to 10-2.
Halvorson threw a leadoff walk and base knock before securing the final three outs on a fly out and a pair of strikeouts to grab the win.
DePaul will travel to South Bend, Ind. for a midweek contest with Notre Dame on Wednesday, April 21 with first pitch set for 4:30 p.m. CT.
DePaul (19-9, 10-1 BIG EAST) remained undefeated at Cacciatore Stadium with the victory and has swept three of four BIG EAST series played this season.
Despite trailing 1-0 after one inning, the Blue Demons displayed poise and patience behind the plate and saw success in the third and fourth innings as six different batters tallied an RBI.
Nicole Sullivan picked up right where she left off on Saturday with a two-for-two day including a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth inning to give DePaul an eight-run lead. Maranda Gutierrez hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the third to jump start the Blue Demons offense.
In the circle, Krista Dalgarn received the start and went 3.2 innings while surrendering six hits and two runs. Natalie Halvorson relieved Dalgarn in the bottom of the third inning and saw 1.1 innings of work and gave up just one hit and no runs to earn the win and improve to 7-4 on the season.
The Bluejays struck first to claim their first lead of the weekend. Brittney Manthie reached on a leadoff walk and was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Ashley Cantu advanced Manthie on a ground out before Kailey Wilson brought her home with an infield single to put Creighton up 1-0.
DePaul recorded two hits and left a combined five runners on base between the first and second inning.
In the top of the third, Creighton threatened with runners at second and third with one out before Wilson grounded to Gutierrez and the senior ignited a 6-4-3 double play to get out of the jam and end the inning.
The bottom of the inning saw Jessica Cothern draw a leadoff walk before Gutierrez took a ball to right center and put the Blue Demons on top, 2-1.
Creighton (13-11, 8-7 BIG EAST) tied the game in the top of the fourth with three hits before Halvorson entered the circle and induced the final out of the inning to leave the bases loaded.
The Blue Demons saw an offensive outburst in the bottom of the fourth inning to grab ahold of the lead for good. Sullivan tapped a leadoff single to right field before being forced out at second on a Grace Frazier fielder's choice. Angela Scalzitti drew a walk and Kate Polucha singled down the third base line to load the bases. Cothern drove in an RBI with a single back to the Creighton pitcher to give DePaul a 3-2 advantage. After a Bluejays change in the circle, Brooke Johnson reached on a fielder's choice and pushed Scalzitti across the plate in the process for a two-run Blue Demons advantage. Gutierrez drew a walk to load the bases once again. Skylor Hilger came to the plate and reached base on a walk to push Cothern across the plate before Gabby O'Riley was hit by a pitch to plate Johnson and increase the lead to 6-2 with the bases loaded and two gone. Sullivan came back to the plate for the second time in the inning and blasted a two-strike, two-out grand slam over the left center wall as the DePaul advantage ballooned to 10-2.
Halvorson threw a leadoff walk and base knock before securing the final three outs on a fly out and a pair of strikeouts to grab the win.
DePaul will travel to South Bend, Ind. for a midweek contest with Notre Dame on Wednesday, April 21 with first pitch set for 4:30 p.m. CT.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Halvorson, Natalie (7-4)
L: BOYD, Parker (6-8)
Batting:
RBI: WILSON, Kailey 1 ; ALVAREZ, Victoria 1
SH: NIELSEN, Cayla 2 ; VEJVODA, Madeline 1
Base Running:
RUNS: MANTHIE, Brittney 1 ; SAWYER, Jacey 1
Batting:
HR: Gutierrez, Maranda 1 ; Sullivan, Nicole 1
RBI: Cothern, Jessica 1 ; Johnson, Brooke 1 ; Gutierrez, Maranda 2 ; Hilger, Skylor 1 ; O'Riley, Gabby 1 ; Sullivan, Nicole 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Scalzitti, Angela 1 ; Cothern, Jessica 1 ; Hocker, Erin 1 ; Johnson, Brooke 1 ; Gutierrez, Maranda 2 ; Hilger, Skylor 1 ; O'Riley, Gabby 1 ; Sullivan, Nicole 1 ; Frazier, Grace 1
SB: Hilger, Skylor 1
HBP: Polucha, Kate 1 ; O'Riley, Gabby 1 ; Sullivan, Nicole 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
2
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
2
R
1
H
2
RBI
4
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
2
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
C/3B
/ SOFTBALL
P/1B
/ SOFTBALL
1B/ OF
/ SOFTBALL
INF
/ SOFTBALL
P
/ SOFTBALL
SS/2B
/ SOFTBALL
RHP/ 1B
/ SOFTBALL
C/ 3B
/ SOFTBALL
OF
/ SOFTBALL
OF
/ SOFTBALLP/SS
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