Illinois Downs DePaul in Final Non-Conference Game of the Season

Tuesday, April 23

Chicago, Ill.

3 p.m. CT

DePaul University

8-33

Illinois

19-26

Illinois

DePaul

Illinois Downs DePaul in Final Non-Conference Game of the Season

4/23/2024 6:30:00 PM | SOFTBALL

Box Score Photo Gallery

Johnson and Viles both tally multi-hit games

CHICAGO - The DePaul softball team dropped its final non-conference game of the season, 7-4, against Illinois Tuesday afternoon at Cacciatore Stadium. The game also marked DePaul (8-33)'s final home game of the 2024 slate.

Brenna Smith got the start for the Blue Demons in the circle, surrendering seven runs (two earned) on ten hits while tallying two strikeouts in 5.2 innings of work. Abbey Pochie appeared in relief for 1.1 innings, giving up one hit and zero runs.

Brooke Johnson led DePaul at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a home run and a pair of walks. Payton Viles put up her second-straight multi-hit game with a 2-for-3 day. Morgan Rogers tallied three stolen bases, a new career-high in a game growing her total to 13 on the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Illinois (18-26, 5-11 BIG TEN) took an early 1-0 lead in the first, but DePaul answered in the third inning with a two-run home run by Brooke Johnson for the lead. Smith settled in tossing three scoreless innings before Illinois took back the lead, 3-2, with a two-run homer of their own at the top of the fifth.

The sixth inning was opened with an Illinois single before DePaul retired back-to-back batters. With a pair of outs, Illinois took advantage of DePaul's miscues for a four-run frame that included K. Ryono's second homer of the day.

DePaul showed signs of a potential comeback as Ava Paganis led off the bottom of the sixth, reaching on an error. A double from Carly Alvers scored a run before DePaul picked up another on a Brooke Cwick RBI making the game 7-4.

UP NEXT
DePaul heads to Omaha for its penultimate conference series this weekend, April 26-28. The Blue Demons and Bluejays will meet for the first game of the series on Friday at 3 p.m. CT on FloSports.

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