Bears Head to Loser's Bracket After 5-0 Loss to No. 1 DePauw

WU-DEPAUW BOX

Rock, Island, Ill., May 9, 2008 – Top-seeded and No. 1 ranked DePauw University scored three unearned runs in the second inning and added two runs in the fifth inning in a 5-0 win over No. 5 seed Washington University in St. Louis in the second round of the 2008 NCAA Division III Softball Championship on Friday in Rock Island, Ill.

DePauw (39-2) advances to the championship game of the winners bracket to take on the winner of No. 2 seed Wartburg College and No. 3 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater on Saturday at 2 p.m. Washington University (25-14) falls to the loser’s bracket and takes on Coe College on Saturday at 10 a.m. in an elimination game.

"Against a good team like DePauw, getting behind early 3-0 makes it tough," said Washington University head coach Leticia Pineda-Boutte. "It’s frustrating because we were not taking advantage of great counts today at the plate."

DePauw took advantage off a costly error by the Bears to score three unearned runs in the top of the second inning. Ashlee Anton walked to leadoff the inning, and then Carolyn Bartlett followed with a single to right field. A sacrifice bunt by Kelly Schwerzler pushed Anton and Barlett up a base, and then Emma Minx walked to load the bases.

Chelsey Patterson then sent a pitch from freshman pitcher Claire Voris deep to right field that went off the glove of senior right fielder Karli Stander to clear the bases giving DePauw the 3-0 lead.

Washington U. threatened in the bottom of the third as Stander led off the inning with a double. Senior Laura D’Andrea pushed Stander to third on a groundout, but Megan Soultz got junior Kerry Kreitman and sophomore Ally Berenter to pop up to end the threat.

DePauw pushed the lead to 5-0 with two runs in the top of the fifth inning. Brianne Weeks doubled to left field scoring Emma Minx, and then Rachael Gill doubled off the centerfield wall scoring Weeks to make it 5-0.

Voris (15-6) allowed four hits and two earned runs in seven innings pitched. She also walked five and struck out six. Soultz improved to 35-2 pitching a complete game allowing six hits. Stander was 2-for-3 with a double, while junior Lindsay Cavarra was 1-for-2 with a double and a walk. The Bears left nine runners on base in the defeat.