Softball swept by DePaul

The softball team lost both games of a doubleheader Wednes­day afternoon at DePaul Univer­sity, dropping the first game 5-4 and the second game, 18-5.

The Blue Demons got off to a fast start in game two taking an 8-0 lead after two innings of play and ending in a mercy rule. Soph­omore Casey Moses suffered the loss.

Four of DePaul's first five batters managed to get on base in part of a six-run first inning. DePaul added two more in the second.

Seton Hall rallied back for four runs in the third inning be­hind a couple of errors commit­ted by DePaul's Megan Coronado and two-run homerun off the bat of sophomore Danielle DeStaso. The homerun was DeStaso's team-leading fifth of the season.

DePaul answered right back in their half of the inning, knock­ing in eight runs and adding two more in the bottom of the fourth, bringing the score to 18-4.

The Pirates tacked on one more run in the fifth as senior Brittany Hammer hit an RBI double down the right field line to score freshman Jackie DiPietro.

Game one was a lot closer between the Pirates and Blue Demons. Seton Hall threatened in the top of the first; however, it was not until the fourth inning that either side managed to get on the scoreboard.

DePaul started the scoring af­ter back to back singles from Sa­mantha Dodd and May Connolly opened up the frame. Dodd would later score on a sacrifice fly by Kirsten Verdun. A Seton Hall er­ror at first base which would have ended the inning allowed the sec­ond run to score.

The Pirates responded in the top half of the fifth, scoring three runs to take a 3-2 lead.

Freshman Alex Rabbetts led off the inning with a walk that was followed by a double off the center field wall by sophomore Sara Haefeli scoring Faith Lau­dano, who was pinch running for Rabbetts, to bring the score to 2-1. DiPietro tied the game with a bunt single, bringing in Haefeli. The third run of the inning was knocked in on a bunt single by Hammer.

DePaul quickly tied the game again as Bree Brown led off the bottom of the fifth with a home­run to left field. DeStaso would work herself into and out of a jam, keeping the score tied at three.

That stalemate didn't last long, with DePaul bringing two home in the bottom of the sixth. Seton Hall's comeback attempt ultimately fell short in the sev­enth inning, with the tying run just 60 feet away.

With one out, junior Maria DeLuca singled to center scor­ing Yasmin Harrell who reached on a fielding error. A passed ball allowed the Pirates to move two runners into scoring position with just one out, but the Pirates failed to convert.

Seton Hall returns to action to play a pair of non-conference doubleheaders this weekend. The first is two home games against Marist on Saturday, April 6, start­ing at 12 p.m. The Pirates then head to Loudonville, N.Y., to face Siena in a doubleheader on Sun­day, April 7, at 12 p.m.

David Heim can be reached at david.heim@student.shu.edu. He can also be found on Twitter @davidheim12.