TERRE HAUTE, IND. - The DePauw softball team used timely hitting and a nearly flawless defense performance to sweep Rose-Hulman and take a one-half game lead in the SCAC Eastern Division standings.

With the sweep, DePauw improved to 18-11-1 overall and 13-3 in the SCAC, while Rose-Hulman fell to 18-16 and 12-3.

Darcy Vannatta pitched a four-hitter in game one and struck out eight in earning her 10^th win of the season in a 6-1 win. Kristyn Tekulve homered to right center in the third to put the Tigers ahead, but the Engineers tied the score in the fifth as Stay Gonya tripled to score Christine Trossman.

The Tigers scored twice in the sixth as Keri Shake singled with two outs to move Kylie Mood to second. Lauri Kinkel singled to left to load the bases and Lauren Partaker singled up the middle to score Moord and Shake.

The defensive play of the game came in the bottom of the sixth when, with runners on second and third, Janae Chaney flied out to right. Lynsey Hart attempted to score on the play, but Andrea Clark's throw to the plate was on the money and Shake tagged her out.

Tekulve finished with three of DePauw's eight hits. Gonya had two for Rose-Hulman.

Rose-Hulman jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first as Cloverdale's Tabatha Doughty singled home Chaney and Nikki Rosenow scored on a Tiger throwing error.

The Tigers knotted the score in the second as Kinkel blasted a two-run homer to left center. They then scored two more in the fourth on Kinkel's run-scoring single and Kristen Stephan's RBI base hit.

Mychelle Coon notched her seventh win in 10 decisions and Kinkel led the way with two hits. Rosenow and Doughty each had two hits for the Engineers. The win for the Tigers was the first in three tries this season against Doughty.

DePauw concludes SCAC play on Saturday with a doubleheader at Centre College beginning at 11 a.m. EDT.