DePaul and Houston will face each other on Sunday at 11 a.m. in the championship game of the 2004 Conference USA Softball Tournament. The fourth-seeded Blue Demons advanced for the fifth straight year after eliminating No. 3 USF with a 4-3 victory on Saturday night. Fifth-seeded Houston will make its first appearance in the league’s title game.

Game Seven (semifinal) – (5) Houston 7, (3) USF 3
No. 5 seed Houston advances the championship game of the 2004 Conference USA Softball Tournament after posting a 7-3 victory over USF. The game began on Friday night and was postponed due to rain. The Cougars led, 5-0, heading into the delay and managed to hold the advantage when the game resumed on Saturday. UH outhit the Bulls 10-5 and took advantage of four costly USF errors.

On Friday night, the Cougars posted a five-run inning in the third frame. Jeanie Davis notched a double that plated Kristen Glowacz, and Brooke Johnson knocked in Jenilee Skender on an RBI single. UH tacked on another run on a USF fielding error. Jaci Gonzalez then ripped a double to right field and scored Arelis Ferreris. Gonzalez came home on a balk by USF’s Leigh Ann Ellis before the game was called due to heavy rain.

The game resumed on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and the Bulls were quick to answer Houston’s third-inning run. Krista Holle singled to right field in the top of the fourth to plate Carmela Liwag who walked. With the bases loaded, Houston’s Crystal Briscoe hit Rena Rodriguez with a pitch, forcing Holly Groves to score.

The gap widened in the bottom of the fifth when Houston notched two more runs. Jamie Adams led off and was hit by Danielle Urbanik, who relieved Ellis, and walked to first. Glowacz registered a double that scored Adams and then crossed home on a sacrifice fly.

Briscoe (12-9) posted the win, striking out three and allowing two earned runs. Glowacz and Skender hit 2-for-4, while Johnson went 2-for-3.

USF will next play the winner of game eight in the second semifinal of the day at 8:30 p.m.

Game Eight – (4) DePaul 2, (6) East Carolina 1
No. 4 DePaul edged sixth-seeded East Carolina, 2-1, to advance to the semifinal of the C-USA Softball Tournament on Saturday. Two runs in the bottom of the second inning clinched the victory for the Blue Demons.

East Carolina put one on the board early in the game. In the top of the first, Kristen Johnson ripped a double to score Christine Sheridan.

DePaul rallied to take the lead in the second frame. Sarah Douglas hit her first of two doubles to spark the offense. Sara Bandauski pinch ran and crossed home on a fielder’s choice. The Blue Demons notched the winning run on a Linda Secka RBI single.

Sarah Martz (21-14) pitched her second win of the tournament, notching seven Ks and scattering four hits.

Sheridan led ECU, going 1-for-2, a double, and recording the only run for the Pirates.

With two losses, East Carolina is eliminated from the tournament. DePaul will now play No. 3 seed USF in the tournament semifinal at 8:30 p.m.

Game Nine (semifinal) – (4) DePaul 4, (3) USF 3
DePaul topped USF, 4-3, with a four-run fifth inning to advance to the championship game of the C-USA Softball Tournament for the fifth straight year. The fourth-seeded Blue Demons will face No. 5 Houston on Sunday at 11 a.m. Sarah Martz pitched her second complete-game win of the day and batted 3-for-4 to lead DePaul.

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the third inning. USF’s Samantha Ray reached first on a DePaul fielding error and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Carmela Liwag connected on a single to the shortstop to plate Ray.

In fifth frame, DePaul loaded the bases on an error, a hit, and an intentional walk. With two outs and a 1-2 count, Sarah Douglas hit a grounder to the second baseman on what looked to be an easy out. But Douglas beat out the throw as she slid into first and scored Secka. DePaul tallied another run and claimed the lead when Jenny Doezie was hit by a pitch, plating Sarah Martz. Dana Kenney lengthened the Blue Demons lead to 4-1 with a two-RBI rip down the left foul line.

USF closed the gap in the bottom of the sixth when Holly Groves singled to left field and stole home on a passed ball. Sarah Watson cranked out a single to the shortstop to plate Christie Chapman and put the Bulls just one run behind the Blue Demons.

Liwag hit a two-out double to center field in the bottom of the seventh to keep the Bulls in the game but Martz struck out Holly Groves to end the contest. Liwag went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI to lead the Bulls.


C-USA Tournament (Louisville, Ky.)

Thursday, May 13
Game 1 - (5) Houston 3, (4) DePaul 1
Game 2 – (3) USF 7, (6) East Carolina 1
Game 3 – (5) Houston 5, (1) Southern Miss 1
Game 4 – (3) USF 1, (2) Louisville 0

Friday, May 14
Game 5 - (6) East Carolina 6, (1) Southern Miss 0
Game 6 - (4) DePaul 5, (2) Louisville 3 (9 innings)
Game 7 - (5) Houston vs. (3) USF (postponed)

Saturday, May 15
Game - 7 (5) Houston 7, (3) USF 3
Game 8 – (4) DePaul 2, (6) East Carolina 1
Game 9 – (4) DePaul 4, (3) USF 3

Sunday, May 16
Game 10 – Championship – (5) Houston vs. (4) DePaul


All Times Eastern.