A day after losing both games in the doubleheader to the University of Connecticut, DePaul came to play in a 10-8 loss in extras on Nicole Wondaal’s day at Cacciatore Stadium.
The Blue Demons got some revenge early on UConn’s starting pitcher, graduate student Payton Kinney, who held them to one run the day before in the first game of their doubleheader. Senior third baseman Carly Alvers said the Blue Demons were able to pick up the edge by getting contact early and cheering loud and proud from the dugout.
“We knew that getting in (Kinney’s) head and having a lot of energy,” Alvers said. “And just doing what we can and making adjustments right away and hitting the ball down.”
Up 5-4 in the top of the fifth inning, DePaul got stuck in a bases-loaded jam before senior Baylee Cosgrove saved the day.
First, freshman Ava Gusel was called in relief for her 16th appearance this year. Starting pitcher, junior Bella Nigey, handed the ball off with runners on second and third and two outs. Next, Gusel walked a runner to load the bases.
Back against the wall, junior Hope Jenkins came to bat for UConn. Jenkins smacked a line drive toward left field before Baylee Cosgrove snatched it out of the air.
“I think seeing Goose (Gusel), it’s like, young and wanting to just have her back and wanting to perform for her so that we can get out of the inning,” Cosgrove said.
That ended the top of the fifth inning; in the bottom, DePaul added to their lead with a solo bomb from sophomore Lydia Ettema and an RBI double from the pinch hitter, sophomore Brooke Cwick.
Cwick brought home pinch-runner freshman Maya Wondaal, daughter of Nicole Wondaal — the four-time Mid-Continent Conference Pitcher of the Year winner from 1996 to 1999 for DePaul softball. A classy gesture by the coaching staff, but the logical choice.
“Coach (Liz Boucher-Jagielski) is gonna make the best decisions all the time for the team,” Associate head coach Christina Sutcliffe said. “She felt Maya was our best option to get that run right there, and it proved to be true.”
Unfortunately for first-year manager Bouck-Jagielski, she was ejected in the seventh inning after several complaints about the strike zone officiating. Bouck-Jagielski made note of numerous calls on junior reliever Kelly Greene’s pitches before the umpire had enough, ejecting her and opening the door for a UConn comeback.
Although DePaul lost in extra innings, this game served as an important reminder to the Blue Demons to keep their heads high.
“Keep fighting. I mean, that’s what this team’s all about,” Sutcliffe said. “If we’ve got one more pitch left in the season, we’re gonna continue to fight through that final pitch, and we owe it to our seniors to do that, and we owe it to ourselves.”
Seniors Alvers and Cosgrove both voiced a similar sentiment, noting that with three weeks left in the season and their collegiate careers, all they hope to do is get a couple more wins before hanging up their hats.
With one last home series against Creighton, a big series against the current bottom seed in the Big East — Georgetown — and the Big East tournament ahead, the team looks to match last season’s conference record of 4-20.
DePaul opens their home-closing series against Crieghton Friday at 1 p.m.
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