Blue Demons Fall to Bulldogs in Series Opener

Friday, April 24

Chicago, Ill.

1 p.m.

DePaul University

18-26, 6-13

Butler

21-17, 12-7

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Butler	6	0	0	2	0	4	12	11	1
DePaul	2	0	1	0	0	0	3	8	2

Blue Demons Fall to Bulldogs in Series Opener

4/24/2026 3:10:00 PM | SOFTBALL

Box Score

Parker hits 14th home run of 2026 season in defeat

CHICAGO – DePaul softball dropped their series opener against Butler on Friday afternoon in a 12-3, six inning defeat at Cacciatore Stadium.

First baseman Chelsea Parker notched the 14th home run of her sophomore campaign in the contest, the most from a Blue Demon since 2017 and tied for 4th-most in an individual season in program history. Junior Morgan Rogers went 2-for-4 at the plate, tying a team-best 11th multi-hit game this season. Junior Brooke Cwick recorded two RBIs on a pinch hit single to put her at 18 RBIs on the season, the third most for the Blue Demons in 2026.

Senior Kelly Greene got the nod in the circle for game one but was relieved by sophomore Hannah Messer in the top of the first. Messer covered 5.0 innings of work before passing the ball to fellow sophomore Gwen Baker, who pitched the remaining inning.

How It Happened
Butler (21-17, 12-7 BIG EAST) had a big first inning at the plate, scoring six runs off five hits to take an early 6-0 lead.
DePaul (18-26, 6-13 BIG EAST) was able to answer quickly in the bottom of the frame as Alexis Houge and Rogers led off with back-to-back base hits, and Jolie Adams reached on an error to load the bases with no outs. Rogers was caught stealing but Adams advanced to second, freeing up first for Lydia Ettema, who walked to load the bases again. Cwick then delivered a two-out base hit to plate two runs, cutting the Bulldogs' advantage to 6-2.
Both teams went quietly in the second, but a deep solo shot to center from Parker in the third put another run across for DePaul to make it 6-3. Ettema followed with a double but was left stranded to end the inning.
The Bulldogs struck again in the top of the fourth, plating two to extend their lead to 8-3.
Pinch hitter Addi Burdick led off the bottom of the frame for DePaul with a base hit, and Messer was hit by a pitch to put two runners on early in the half inning with no outs. Hogue put down a sacrifice run to move both runners into scoring position, but the Blue Demons were unable to capitalize, leaving the score at 8-3 after four.
After a quiet fifth inning, Butler drove in three more runs in the top of the sixth off a 3-run home run, then plated one more off a walk to up their advantage to 12-3.
Houge walked to put the Blue Demons on the basepaths in the bottom of the sixth inning, and Rogers followed with a single to put runners on the corners for DePaul with two outs. Rogers advanced on a wild pitch to put both runners in scoring position, but the Blue Demons were unable to score, resulting in a 12-3 Butler victory.

Up Next  
The Blue Demons are back at Cacciatore Stadium tomorrow afternoon, April 25, for game two against the Bulldogs. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT and will be streamed live on ESPN+.

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