University of Louisville
DePaul
Softball Splits with DePaul
April 22, 2009 | Softball
April 22, 2009
CHICAGO - The showdown between the top two teams in the BIG EAST ended in a split as the No. 17 University of Louisville softball team defeated No. 20 DePaul 10-1 in six innings in the first game and the Blue Demons responded with a 9-1 five inning win in the nightcap. DePaul (32-10, 16-3) remains in first place while Louisville 41-7 (16-4) slipped to third with Notre Dame in second at 14-3.
In game one, Colby Wherry went 3 for 4 with three RBI and Kristen Wadwell scattered two hits as the Cards defeated the Blue Demons 10-1 in six innings.
The Cards jumped to a 1-0 lead in the first when Melissa Roth led off the game with a double and came home on Colby Wherry's RBI single.
Kassie Stanfill's RBI double plated Chelsea Bemis who had connected on a one-out double to increase the lead to 2-0 in the top of the third.
DePaul got a run back in the bottom of the third when Brittany Yniquez singled, took second on a wild pitch, moved to third on Tara Voss' sacrifice bunt scored on Amber Patton's infield single.
Louisville put up three runs in the fifth on Kristi Cunningham's two-run homer and Christina Roesel's RBI triple. Wherry delivered her second hit of the game and one out later, Cunningham powered a shot over the centerfield fence for her tenth home run of the season. Patrika Barlow followed with a walk and scored on Roesel's triple to make it a 5-1 game.
The Cardinals tacked on five more runs to take a 10-1 lead in the sixth. Two walks and a single put runners on for Wherry's double which scored Roth and Kristin Austin. An error on a play at the plate sent Bemis home and Wherry to third. Barlow connected on a two-run single to score Wherry and Cunningham who had reached on an error.
Wadwell (35-6) went the distance in the win, giving up one earned run and fanning five. The Cards belted out 11 hits - six for extra bases. Barlow was 2 for 3 in the game.
Lauren Frankiewicz (7-2) took the loss, giving up 10 runs, eight earned, on 11 hits and striking out eight.
In game two, the Blue Demons took an early lead behind Marie Thompson's three run homer in the bottom of the first. The Cards thwarted an early scoring threat when Patton led off with a single, was sacrificed to second and Jackie Tarulli-Fisher singled to place runners on the corners. Catcher Melissa Roth and shortstop Colby Wherry combined to throw Patton out at the plate on a double steal attempt for the second out of the inning. Thompson worked a full count and sent a shot over the left field fence brought home pinch runner Sarah Shizas and Becca Heteniak who reached on a walk.
DePaul used four hits to put up three more runs in the second.Yniquez led off with a single and scored on Amber Patton's double. Patton eventually came home on a passed ball and Becca Heteniak's double to make the score 6-0.
A single and two walks loaded the bases for the Blue Demons in the third. Katelyn Braget and Tarulli-Fisher were each hit by a pitch to tally two more runs as DePaul increased the lead to 8-0.
In the fourth inning, a two-out Louisville error brought Morocco for a 9-0 Blue Demon lead.
Cunningham led off the top of the fifth with her 11th homer of the season to put Louisville on the scoreboard as the Cardinals avoided being shut out for the first time this season.
Wadwell (35-7) took the loss, allowing five earned runs on six hits in 1.1 innings. Tori Collins gave up four runs, three earned, on three hits and issued five walks in 2.2 innings of work. Cunningham was 2 for 2 with a home run to lead the Cards.
Heteniak (19-6) got the win, giving up one earned run on five hits and striking out six. Patton was 2 for 3 with a run and an RBI.
U of L (41-7, 16-4) will celebrate senior day on Saturday, April 25 with a BIG EAST doubleheader at Ulmer Stadium.
