DePaul Defeats USF, Advances To Championship
May 15, 2004 | Softball
May 15, 2004
DePaul topped USF, 4-3, with a four-run fifth inning to advance to the championship game of the C-USA Softball Tournament for the fifth straight year. The fourth-seeded Blue Demons will face No. 5 Houston on Sunday at 11 a.m. Sarah Martz pitched her second complete-game win of the day and batted 3-for-4 to lead DePaul.
The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the third inning. USF's Samantha Ray reached first on a DePaul fielding error and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Carmela Liwag connected on a single to the shortstop to plate Ray.
In fifth frame, DePaul loaded the bases on an error, a hit, and an intentional walk. With two outs and a 1-2 count, Sarah Douglas hit a grounder to the second baseman on what looked to be an easy out. But Douglas beat out the throw as she slid into first and scored Secka. DePaul tallied another run and claimed the lead when Jenny Doezie was hit by a pitch, plating Sarah Martz. Dana Kenney lengthened the Blue Demons lead to 4-1 with a two-RBI rip down the left foul line.
USF closed the gap in the bottom of the sixth when Holly Groves singled to left field and stole home on a passed ball. Sarah Watson cranked out a single to the shortstop to plate Christie Chapman and put the Bulls just one run behind the Blue Demons.
Liwag hit a two-out double to center field in the bottom of the seventh to keep the Bulls in the game but Martz struck out Holly Groves to end the contest. Liwag went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI to lead the Bulls.
