May 21, 2011

Game One Notes
#3 DePaul (40-13) 2, #2 Indiana (37-17) 1
May 21, 2011 – Columbia Regional Game 1

• DePaul earned the first win of the 2011 Columbia Regional with a “wild” 2-1 victory over #2-seeded Indiana. The Blue Demons managed just one hit off IU senior pitcher Morgan Melloh, but three Hoosier errors and a wild pitch allowed the Blue Demons to advance. DePaul scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh inning.
• DePaul will play the winner of Game 2, which pits #1-seeded Missouri vs. #4 Illinois State.
• DePaul improved to 40-13 on the year and has won 20 of its last 22 games overall. The Blue Demons also improved to 2-0 vs. Indiana. DePaul won 7-3 on Feb. 8 at the USF Tournament in Clearwater, Fla.
• Blue Demon Head Coach Eugene Lenti won his 1,101st career game. That incredible win total has spanned a 30-year career.
• Samantha Dodd recorded the lone Blue Demon hit, a single to left in the top of the sixth inning. Oddly, neither of DePaul's two runs were scored with the benefit of a base hit.
• Defense was key for the Blue Demons in the victory. DePaul turned its fourth and fifth double plays of the year in the contest. Indiana was threatening with two on and zero out in the bottom of the sixth inning, but Amanda Wagner lined out to first baseman Kirsten Verdun, who stepped on first to help slow the rally.
• A leadoff double also looked to get Indiana rolling in the bottom of the seventh frame, but right-fielder Sean Plese assisted on a putout of Jenna Abraham, who was attempting to stretch the double into a triple.
• Indiana fell to 37-17 on the year. It was just the second loss for the Hoosiers over the last 19 games (17-2).
• Morgan Melloh fell to 32-16 this season despite giving up just one hit and one earned run. She did strikeout 11 and has 488 K's on the year. She is now 6-5 all-time in NCAA postseason play, with each of those wins coming at Fresno State.
• Melloh also had a hit and scored Indiana's lone run.