JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 DePaul softball dropped a 10-inning thriller in its Jacksonville Tournament opener Friday, falling 3-2, before inclement weather halted game two in the fifth inning with the Blue Demons holding a 4-1 lead.<\/p>\n
Game 1 \u2013 Jacksonville 3, DePaul 2 (10 innings)
\nIn a pitcher’s duel that featured just seven combined hits, DePaul held a narrow 4-3 edge in the hit column, but\u00a0Jacksonville\u00a0capitalized in extra innings to secure the win.<\/p>\n
After three scoreless frames, the Blue Demons broke through in the fourth. Chelsea Parker<\/a> legged out a one-out infield single before junior Lydia Ettema<\/a> launched a two-run homer to left, her fourth of the season, to give DePaul a 2-0 advantage.<\/p>\n The Dolphins responded with a solo home run in the fifth and evened the score in the sixth. A one-out walk came around to score following a stolen base and a single to center, tying the game at 2-2 and forcing extras.<\/p>\n DePaul (8-9) threatened in both the eighth and ninth innings but stranded two runners and couldn’t push across the go-ahead run. In the bottom of the 10th, Jacksonville moved the placed runner to third with a sacrifice bunt before a sacrifice fly to right field delivered the 3-2 walk-off victory.<\/p>\n Right-hander Hannah Messer<\/a> tossed 5.2 innings, allowing one earned run on two hits while striking out four. Senior Kelly Greene<\/a> added 4.0 innings in relief, surrendering one run on one hit with a strikeout. Messer (4-6) was tagged with the loss.<\/p>\n Game 2 \u2013 DePaul 4, Jacksonville 1 (Suspended, 5th inning) The Blue Demons seized control with a three-run fifth inning. Morgan Rogers<\/a> opened the frame with a bunt single and stole second before Emersyn Coulter<\/a> advanced her with a sacrifice bunt. Ettema drew a walk and stole second, allowing Rogers to score during the play. Parker followed with an RBI double to center to make it 3-1, and Addy Poe<\/a> later reached on an error that brought pinch runner Ava Gusel<\/a> home for a 4-1 lead.<\/p>\n Following a nearly three-hour rain delay, the remainder of the contest was postponed to Sunday, March 1. The game will resume with two outs in the top of the fifth inning, Camryn Eckhart<\/a> at the plate, and runners on first and second.<\/p>\n Up Next<\/p>\n DePaul returns to action Saturday, Feb. 28 with a pair of games versus North Florida. First pitch in the double header is set for 12 p.m. CT.\u00a0<\/p>\n FOLLOW THE BLUE DEMONS
\nJacksonville (8-8) struck first with a solo home run in the bottom of the first, but DePaul answered in the second when freshman Kailie Westphal<\/a> singled to center to score Maya Wondaal<\/a> and tie the game at 1-1.<\/p>\n
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