DePaul Travels to Villanova for BIG EAST Clash

Saturday, April 10

Villanova, Pa.

11:00 A.M. CT

DePaul University

Villanova

DePaul Travels to Villanova for BIG EAST Clash

4/9/2021 4:19:00 PM | SOFTBALL

Live Video (Game 1)Live Video (Game 2)Live Video (Game 3)Live Stats (Game 1) Live Stats (Game 2)Live Stats (Game 3)

Blue Demons and Wildcats meet for top spot in league standings

CHICAGO – The top two teams in BIG EAST softball will meet for a weekend series, April 10-11, as DePaul travels to Villanova for a doubleheader on Saturday and a single game set for Sunday afternoon.

First pitch on Saturday is slated for 11 a.m. (CT) with Sunday's series finale also beginning at 11 a.m. from Villanova Softball park.

All three contests can be viewed on Nova Nation All-Access by visiting villanova.com/watch.

The Wildcats, selected first in the league's preseason coaches' poll, enter the weekend with a 17-9 overall record and 3-0 mark in BIG EAST action. Villanova lost their first six contests of the season before embarking on an 11-game win streak.

The Blue Demons, picked to finish second in the coaches' poll, have won their last eight games after starting the season 7-7 and head into the series at Villanova at 15-7 and 6-0 in conference action.

DePaul at a Glance: DePaul has seen offensive production from every part of the lineup in any given outing over the course of its eight-game winning streak. Senior Angela Scalzitti leads the way in hits for the Blue Demons with 23 on the season to go along with team-high's in doubles (7), triples (3) and stolen bases (7). Kate Polucha has hoisted a heavy bat for DePaul with five home runs and 16 RBI's for a team-best 43 total bases. Brooke Johnson holds a .333 batting average and boasts a seven-game hit streak. In the circle, the Blue Demons have seen Krista Dalgarn and Natalie Halvorson lead the way with a combined 119 innings of work. Dalgarn is 9-1 on the season while Halvorson is 4-3. Freshman Julyana Gomez has seen two appearances in the last three contests.

Scouting the Wildcats: Much like DePaul, the Wildcats have a balanced offense with four batters registering 25 or more hits on the season. Dual threat Paige Rauch leads the way with 34 hits, five home runs and a .415 batting average. Sophomore Chloe Smith has earned 44 total bases with a .389 average to go along with 21 RBI's. The Wildcats lead the BIG EAST in batting average at a .306 mark. Rauch heads up the pitching core for the 'Cats with a 10-2 record and a 2.31 ERA. Junior Sara Kennedy is 4-3 on the season in 10 appearances.

Series Stuff: DePaul holds the all-time series advantage against the Wildcats, 29-5. The Blue Demons have won seven of the last eight meetings including an 11-10 victory in the 2019 BIG EAST Championship game.

Last Time Out: The Blue Demons claimed a thrilling 6-5 victory over Northern Illinois on Wednesday, April 7. Trailing 5-1 heading into the seventh inning, DePaul put up five runs in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win and extend their win streak to eight games. Sophomore Brooke Johnson provided the heroics with a three-run walk-off home run to right field to put DePaul in the win column. Krista Dalgarn, the pitcher of record, moved to 9-1 on the season with the win.

Next Up: After the three-game series at Villanova, the Blue Demons face a quick turnaround with a midweek matchup at Illinois State on Tuesday, April 13 at 5 p.m.