DePaul University
26-21, 14-7
Creighton
15-27, 5-17
DePaul Clinches Postseason Berth with 9-3 Win on Sunday
5/1/2022 2:52:00 PM | SOFTBALL
Blue Demons punch their ticket to 16th-consecutive BIG EAST tournament
OMAHA, Neb. — DePaul bounced back from Saturday's setback in a big way with a 9-3 victory over Creighton in Sunday's series finale. The Blue Demons launched three home runs including a grand slam from freshman Baylee Cosgrove to bust the game wide open in the fifth inning.
With Sunday's win accompanied by Butler's win over Providence, the Blue Demons clinched a spot in the 2022 BIG EAST Tournament hosted in Rosemont, Ill., May 12-14. DePaul will appear in its 16th-straight BIG EAST tournament in two weeks with seeding to be determined as conference play heads into the final weekend. The Blue Demons sit in fourth place in the league standings and will travel to Providence for a three-game set scheduled for May 6-8.
Cosgrove drove in four runs and went 2-for-3 on the day adding a base hit to her grand slam while senior left fielder Kate Polucha went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and a pair of base hits to drive in two runs. Anna Wohlers added two RBI on a solo home run and a bases-loaded fielding error.
In the circle, Sarah Lehman threw for the complete game surrendering three runs on four hits while striking out seven batters. Lehman improved to 12-5 and now owns a 3.21 ERA on the season.
Wohlers got the scoring started with her seventh home run of the season on a solo shot to right field to leadoff the second inning.
The top of the third saw DePaul (26-21, 14-7 BIG EAST) take a 2-0 edge as the bases were loaded after a Carly Alvers fielder's choice and consecutive walks from Maranda Gutierrez and Brooke Johnson. Wohlers reached on a Creighton fielding error to bring Alvers home on her second RBI of the day before Gutierrez was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
The Blue Demons extended the lead to 3-0 in the third inning with a leadoff home run from Polucha to right field. Polucha has seven homers on the season, with all of them coming in BIG EAST play.
Creighton (15-27, 5-17) responded with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to trim the DePaul lead to 3-2.
DePaul answered right back in the top of the fifth with six-runs including Cosgrove's grand slam. Gutierrez tallied a leadoff-base hit before stealing second and third before Johnson and Wohlers were intentionally walked to load the bases. Polucha reached on an RBI-single to left field to bring Gutierrez around and Nicole Sullivan drew a bases-loaded walk to score Wohlers before Cosgrove's fifth home run of the season cleared the bases and put the Blue Demons ahead 9-2.
The Bluejays added a run in the bottom of the sixth win a solo shot to right field to cut the DePaul advantage to six runs before the Blue Demons clamped down and got the victory.
DePaul will close out the non-conference portion of its schedule on Tuesday when No. 8 Northwestern visits Cacciatore Stadium for a 4 p.m. first pitch.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lehman, Sarah (11-5)
L: Mikayla Santa Cruz (6-11)
Batting:
HR: Wohlers, Anna 1 ; Polucha, Kate 1 ; Cosgrove, Baylee 1
RBI: Wohlers, Anna 2 ; Polucha, Kate 2 ; Sullivan, Nicole 1 ; Cosgrove, Baylee 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Gutierrez, Maranda 1 ; Wohlers, Anna 2 ; Polucha, Kate 2 ; Meyer, Tori 1 ; Sullivan, Nicole 1 ; Cosgrove, Baylee 1 ; Alvers, Carly 1
SB: Gutierrez, Maranda 2 ; Johnson, Brooke 1 ; Frazier, Grace 1 ; Meyer, Tori 1
Batting:
2B: Sam Alm 1
HR: Kailey Wilson 1 ; Kiara Mills 1
RBI: Kailey Wilson 1 ; Kiara Mills 2
SH: Alyssa Gappa 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sam Alm 1 ; Kailey Wilson 1 ; Kiara Mills 1
