Jacksonville, Ill. - Ninth-ranked DePauw opened the 2021 season with a sweep of Simpson by a 5-4 score and seventh-ranked Central, 5-2.

In the win over Simpson, Kaylyn Linder's walk-off single plated pinch-runner Olivia Jackson with the game-winning run. Paige Price led off the bottom of the seventh with a single before Jackson entered as a runner and moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a grounder. Linder then ended the contest with the base hit.

The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the third when Price singled and moved to third when Abby Pyburn doubled. Chase Epp's grounder plated Price and Linder made it 2-0 with a base hit. Simpson scored three in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead, but Price's two-run double in the fourth gave the Tigers a 4-3 advantage. Simpson tied the game in the sixth, setting up the dramatic finish.

Price had three of DePauw's 10 hits, while Linder had two. Megan Crockett and Carmey Leo each had two hits for Simpson. Cami Henry picked up the pitching win after striking out 12 and walking just one, while Randie Richmond took the loss.

In the win over Central, DePauw jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first as it took advantage of three Central errors with two out. Grace Smith's two-run single in the fifth pushed the lead to 4-0 and her run-scoring single in the seventh made it 5-0. Central reached the board with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh.

Smith had two of DePauw's seven hits, while Sara Tallman totaled two of Central's three hits.

Henry again struck out 12 with no walks in tossing the three-hitter. Sydney Huisman dropped to 0-1 with the loss.

DePauw faces Greenville in a 3 p.m. CST doubleheader at Millikin University.