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Blue Demons Tame Bulls in Game One
TAMPA, Fla. The No. 20/25 DePaul softball team extended its winning streak to nine games with a 6-3 BIG EAST Conference victory over USF, Friday at the USF Softball Complex. The Blue Demons improve to 31-12 and 8-3 in conference play, while the Bulls fall to 36-14, and 11-2. The Blue Demons recorded nine hits in their seventh consecutive conference the win. Marcy Wilus led DePaul with a 3-for-4 effort and scored a run. Amber Patton extended her hitting streak to 14 games with a 2-for-4 showing a the plate. USF got its first base runners in the bottom of the third after DePaul starter Becca Heteniak retired the first six batters she faced. USF’s Cat Olnick and Kelly McCarver both reached on singles and Aya Nakajima moved both runners into scoring position with a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt. With one out, Patton made back-to-back fantastic defensive plays at third base to end the inning and leave the Bulls stranded. Following the Bulls offensive threat, Heteniak settled into her grove and retired the next six batters she faced; three with strikeouts. The Blue Demons heated up the base path as they batted around the order and took a 6-0 lead on four hits and took advantage of a pair of USF errors in the sixth frame. Tara Voss led off with a sharply hit single to left field, but was out at second on Sandy Vojik’s fielder’s choice. Wilus followed and knocked a single to center to place runners on second and third for Jackie Tarulli-Fisher, who reached on a field’s choice to load the bases. Pinch hitting for Lauren Frankiewicz, Simone Ashkar also reached on a fielder’s choice, but this time Vojik was able to score on the play. Following a Bulls fielding error and with the bases juiced, pinch hitter Annie Demas knocked a single to right field to score a pair of runs. The Blue Demons scored their final runs of the ballgame on a USF throwing error. USF got three runs back in the bottom half of the inning on four hits and a DePaul fielding error. With runners on first and second, Britta Giddens doubled to left field to clear the bases. Two batters later, Brittany Villa knocked a RBI single down the left field line to round out the Bulls scoring. Heteniak (17-5) struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the win. The sophomore finished the game with nine strikeouts, while allowing six hits and walked zero. Only one of the Bulls runs were earned. Courtney Mosch (16-6) took the loss for the Bulls and threw 5.1 innings before being replaced by Kristen Gordon, who finished the game. Mosch scattered seven hits, struck out two and walked a pair. The Blue Demons and Bulls finish their doubleheader later this afternoon.
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