April 29, 2007
CHICAGO, Ill.- Notre Dame’s softball team (24-21, 9-7 BIG EAST) fell twice to the No. 11/15 DePaul Blue Demons (35-7, 16-0 BIG EAST) on Sunday, April 29 in Chicago. The Irish have now lost their last seven games.
In the first inning of the first game, after walking both Katie Sheaks and Sandy Vojik, sophomore Brittney Bargar (Corona, Calif./Corona) got out of the potential sticky situation, as Sheaks was caught stealing before Becca Heteniak grounded out to third to end the inning.
A single by DePaul’s Stephanie Blagaich in the third was quickly erased, as senior catcher Gessica Hufnagle (Middlebury, Ind./Northridge) pegged out her second runner of the game.
The Irish wasted a leadoff single from senior Stephanie Brown (Chandler, Ariz./Corona del Sol) in the fourth inning. A sacrifice bunt moved Brown to second, but a strike out and a grounded out ended the frame for Notre Dame.
The Blue Demons broke through for two runs in their half of the fourth inning. Amber Patton and Vojik both singled to lead off the frame. A sacrifice moved the runners over a base before Jackie Tarulli brought both home with her single up the middle.
The Irish cut the deficit in half as freshman Christine Lux (Glendale Heights, Ill./Glenbard West) unloaded with her second home run of the season.
The Blue Demons came back with a run of their own in the bottom of the fifth inning. Shea Warren reached on a bunt single, stole second and came in to score the third DePaul run on Sheaks looping single to right field.
That would be the last run of the game, as Bargar suffered her 11th loss of the season despite only allowing three run on six hits.
The Irish started the second game with great promise on Brown’s single to short left field. Hufnagle then reach first on a bunt hit when the second baseman was late getting to the bag. Junior Katie Laing (Chandler, Ariz./Corona del Sol) moved each runner over with a sacrifice bunt. Lux drew a walk to load the bases with one out, but the Irish once again failed to come through in a clutch situation, as a strikeout and groundout ended the inning.
DePaul broke through for an unearned run in the second inning. Tarulli reached first on a one-out dropped fly ball. A Marcy Wilus single moved her to second and she came in to score on Linda Secka’s single up the middle.
The Blue Demons added a run to their lead in the fourth inning Wilus drove in Katie Hanson, who was pinch running for Becca Heteniak, with the second run. The inning could have been worse if not for the great relay throw from sophomore right fielder Beth Northway (Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood) to sophomore second baseman Linda Kohan (Westminster, Calif./Westminster) to catcher Hufnagle to nail Marie Thompson at the plat,e as she was attempted to tag up on a long fly ball.
DePaul added two insurance runs in the sixth inning. Vojik scored the first run on a ground out to the Irish first baseman. Wilus continued her offensive show with a double to score Heteniak for the fourth and final run of the game.
Bargar (16-12) started the second game and allowing three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings from the circle to pick up the loss.
Notre Dame will now continue the road trip with another trip to Chicago to play Loyola Chicago, at 6 p.m. on May 1.
Irish Notes: The Irish have now scored a total of five runs in their last seven games … Brown extended her hitting streak to three-games with her hit in the second game