The UConn softball team swept the DePaul Blue Demons on the road in a Big East conference series that featured late drama in the final game. The Huskies (14-4, 28-14) now sit in second place in the Big East, just behind St. Johns, while DePaul (1-16, 14-26) is in eighth place, near the bottom of the standings.
Friday’s first game of a doubleheader began with a bang for UConn, as they loaded the bases in the top of the first inning. Cat Petteys walked to bring in a run, and Kaitlyn Breslin singled a batter later to drive home two more.
In the top of the second, UConn made it 5-0 with a double from Rosie Garcia. DePaul clawed a run back in the bottom half, but the Huskies fired back with a monster third inning in which they scored seven runs. The inning was punctuated by a three-run homer from Breslin.
Connecticut tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning, as Grace Jenkins and Garcia had a single and an RBI each. An inning later, sophomore Caylee De Meo smacked a two-run homer to bring the final score to 16-1.
The second game of the doubleheader started off with two scoreless innings from both teams. Petteys broke the deadlock for UConn with a three-run homer in the top of the third inning.
In the fourth inning, Garcia hit a two-run double to make the score 5-0, before Petteys singled to bring in Garcia for another run. The Blue Demons fought back in the bottom frame with a solo shot from Carly Alvers and a double from Zoe Levine, bringing the score to 6-2.
The Huskies extended their lead with two runs in the top of the fifth, both unearned, as G. Jenkins and Petteys scored due to an error. Then, Connecticut put the game firmly out of reach with six runs in the seventh inning, capitalizing on a bases-loaded opportunity. Petteys walked, bringing in a run. Breslin did the same right after, putting UConn up 10-2. Hope Jenkins singled to center field, adding another run, before a fielder’s choice and two
errors by the DePaul defense brought three more runs across. When the dust cleared, UConn was up 14-2.
The Blue Demons showed some life in the bottom of the seventh as they plated three runs, but ultimately, UConn’s freshman pitcher Amber Bretton finished off the game.
The final game of the series, played on Saturday, turned out to be a much closer affair. This time, DePaul struck first. Alvers hit a two-run double to left field as the Blue Demons jumped out to a 4-0 advantage in the bottom of the first inning. DePaul tacked on another run in the second inning on a sacrifice fly from Morgan Rogers.
UConn got on the board in the fourth inning. Breslin doubled to score Petteys, and H. Jenkins flied out to center, enabling Breslin to cross the plate, making the score 5-2. The Huskies thinned the deficit to just one run in the top of the fifth, as Lexi Hastings singled and Petteys doubled. DePaul responded in the bottom half, however, with a solo homer and a double that added three runs to their total.
The Huskies tied the game up 7-7 in the top of the sixth. Haley Coupal reached base on an error and Hastings walked before G. Jenkins smashed a three-run homer. However, DePaul seemed determined to win as they took the lead in the bottom frame, as a fielder’s choice scored Alexis Houge from third. In the seventh inning, Huskies catcher Heidi Barber provided a sacrifice fly to bring in Rayah Snyder, tying the game once again.
With the score knotted at 8-8, the teams needed an extra inning to decide the contest. Petteys hit a solo home run in the top of the eighth, and Breslin crossed the plate a few batters later off a groundout from Coupal. DePaul couldn’t respond as UConn’s Payton Kinney shut the door to polish off the series sweep.
Next, the Huskies will travel back to Storrs and take on Georgetown in a series starting on April 25.