April 9, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — Visiting Birmingham-Southern scored 19 runs over two games to sweep fourth-ranked DePauw in a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon. 

The Panthers won by scores of 9-1 and 10-5, dropping the Tigers to 16-6-1 on the year and 5-3 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play. The Panthers improved to 21-7 overall and 12-2 in the conference.

In the opener, Birmingham-Southern took an early 1-0 lead as Danielle Rucker reached on a walk, advanced on a passed ball and scored on Brittany Berkopec's double. The Panthers added to their lead in the third, as Berkopec knocked a three-run homer over the fence in centerfield. DePauw responded with a run in the bottom of the inning, with Cymone Allen scoring after a single by Brianne Weeks.

In the seventh, Birmingham-Southern's Jordan Allen led off with a single and scored on Ashley Bice's single to left. With the bases loaded, Chelsea Fernandez hit a grand slam to give the Panthers a 9-1 advantage. 

Macbeth led the Tiger offense with three of the team's five hits. Birmingham-Southern posted 12 hits in the win, including a 4-for-4 performance by Berkopec. Fernandez also added two hits and four RBI.

The Panthers' Ronni  Ferris improved to 12-5, while Emily Bichler took the loss for DePauw to fall to 15-5.

In the second game, Birmingham-Southern capitalized again early, scoring one run in the first and four in the third. In the top of the third, Allen led off with a single and advanced to third on Rucker's double. Allen and Rucker scored on back-to-back hits by Ferris and Bice, respectively. Ferris came home on Fernandez's grounder and Bice scored on a wild pitch.

DePauw cut into the Panthers' 5-0 lead in the bottom of the inning, as Jen Kosinski knocked in MacBeth with a double down the left field line.

Birmingham-Southern expanded the margin to 7-1 in the top of the fifth, but the Tigers rallied in the bottom of the inning with three runs, including a two-run homer by Emma Minx.

An error cost DePauw an unearned run in the sixth and the Panthers put up two more on a pair of singles in the top of the seventh. Koskinski homered for the Tigers in the bottom of the seventh to round out the scoring.

DePauw totaled 10 hits, including two each from Weeks, Koskinski and Allen. Rucker and Ferris accounted for six of Birmingham-Southern's 16 hits, recording three each.

The Panthers' Beth Lefler earned the win, improving to 9-2, while Ferris was credited with a save. Bichler took the loss for DePauw, falling to 15-6.

DePauw hosts Birmingham-Southern tomorrow in a Noon doubleheader.

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