DePaul Falls to Arizona in Championship Game

Lindsay Chouinard

DePaul softball finishes season with a 50-11 record after falling to Arizona, 8-0 in the NCAA regional championship game.

MINNEAPOLIS--#2 Arizona (52-11) defeated #16 DePaul 8-0 in five innings in the regional final of the NCAA tournament. The Wildcats advance to the College World Series for the 15th consecutive year while the Blue Demons finish the season with a 50-11 record, the third most wins in school history.

Blue Demons starter Lindsay Chouinard (32-6) allowed one earned run and finished 4-2 in the regional, pitching 46 of the 49 innings the team played. She allowed four earned runs in the regional and one earned run in 20 innings pitched against Arizona. Her 0.47 ERA ranks second on the DePaul single-season list.

Arizona pushed the first run of the game across in the bottom of the first inning. With runners on second and third after a single, error and sacrifice bunt, Chouinard intentionally walked Leneah Manuma loading the bases with one out. Mackenzi Vandergeest delivered an RBI single to left field giving the Wildcats’ a 1-0 lead. Chouinard retired the next two batters getting out of the inning with the one unearned run scoring.

The Wildcats added five runs in the second inning. Lisha Ribellia reached with a one out single and Lovieanne Jung was hit-by-a-pitch. Courtney Fossatti followed with a line shot off Chouinard into center field scoring Ribellia making it 2-0 Arizona. After a pop out to third and an intentional walk, Vandergeest brought home two runs on an error and Jackie Coburn delivered a single bringing home two more runs giving the Wildcats a 6-0 lead.

Arizona picked up two more runs on a single by Jennie Finch making it 8-0.

Finch (31-5) earned the victory for Arizona allowing one hit and striking out four in five innings.

Sarah Martz pitched the final two innings for the Blue Demons allowing one earned run. Liz Bouck and Sarah Douglas produced the lone Blue Demon hits going 1-for-2 in the game.