DePaul Drops Jacksonville Opener as Weather Suspends Remainder of Game Two

Friday, February 27

Jacksonville, Fla.

9 a.m.

DePaul University

8-9

Jacksonville

8-8

DePaul

Jacksonville

DePaul Drops Jacksonville Opener as Weather Suspends Remainder of Game Two

2/27/2026 3:40:00 PM | SOFTBALL

Box Score

Lydia Ettema drills fourth homer of the season in game one setback

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – DePaul softball dropped a 10-inning thriller in its Jacksonville Tournament opener Friday, falling 3-2, before inclement weather halted game two in the fifth inning with the Blue Demons holding a 4-1 lead.

Game 1 – Jacksonville 3, DePaul 2 (10 innings)
In a pitcher's duel that featured just seven combined hits, DePaul held a narrow 4-3 edge in the hit column, but Jacksonville capitalized in extra innings to secure the win.

After three scoreless frames, the Blue Demons broke through in the fourth. Chelsea Parker legged out a one-out infield single before junior Lydia Ettema launched a two-run homer to left, her fourth of the season, to give DePaul a 2-0 advantage.

The Dolphins responded with a solo home run in the fifth and evened the score in the sixth. A one-out walk came around to score following a stolen base and a single to center, tying the game at 2-2 and forcing extras.

DePaul (8-9) threatened in both the eighth and ninth innings but stranded two runners and couldn't push across the go-ahead run. In the bottom of the 10th, Jacksonville moved the placed runner to third with a sacrifice bunt before a sacrifice fly to right field delivered the 3-2 walk-off victory.

Right-hander Hannah Messer tossed 5.2 innings, allowing one earned run on two hits while striking out four. Senior Kelly Greene added 4.0 innings in relief, surrendering one run on one hit with a strikeout. Messer (4-6) was tagged with the loss.

Game 2 – DePaul 4, Jacksonville 1 (Suspended, 5th inning)
Jacksonville (8-8) struck first with a solo home run in the bottom of the first, but DePaul answered in the second when freshman Kailie Westphal singled to center to score Maya Wondaal and tie the game at 1-1.

The Blue Demons seized control with a three-run fifth inning. Morgan Rogers opened the frame with a bunt single and stole second before Emersyn Coulter advanced her with a sacrifice bunt. Ettema drew a walk and stole second, allowing Rogers to score during the play. Parker followed with an RBI double to center to make it 3-1, and Addy Poe later reached on an error that brought pinch runner Ava Gusel home for a 4-1 lead.

Following a nearly three-hour rain delay, the remainder of the contest was postponed to Sunday, March 1. The game will resume with two outs in the top of the fifth inning, Camryn Eckhart at the plate, and runners on first and second.

Up Next

DePaul returns to action Saturday, Feb. 28 with a pair of games versus North Florida. First pitch in the double header is set for 12 p.m. CT.

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