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Connolly Walks Off With BIG EAST Accolade
Feb. 13, 2012
CHICAGO – In her very first at-bat as a college softball player, Mary Connolly hit a game-winning, walk-off, three-run home run. And she did it as a pinch-hitter in the last inning of DePaul’s 5-2 comeback victory over UMKC (Missouri-Kansas City) last Thursday at the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Classic in Hawaii. Two days later, Connolly hit a two-run homer in the Blue Demons’ 9-3 win over UMKC. No wonder the freshman from West Chicago was named to the BIG EAST Conference Honor Roll Monday, signifying her performance was among the league’s seven best last week. “It’s a great start for her freshman year,” said DePaul coach Eugene Lenti. “You can’t come up with a bigger hit than the game-winner against Missouri-Kansas City.” After the first five games of her collegiate career, Connolly is batting .444 with two home runs, five RBIs and three runs scored. She is tied for the team lead in home runs and RBIs with sophomore Megan Coronado. In addition, Connolly has a 1.111 slugging percentage, a .583 on-base percentage and is hitting .500 with runners on base. “Mary is proving herself to be a clutch player in game-changing situations,” Lenti said. “Hopefully she has plenty more game-winning hits left in her.” Connolly and the Blue Demons open up against No. 4/3 California on Friday in the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic in Las Vegas.
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