Box Score Decatur, Ill. - DePauw battled back from a 2-0 deficit and eliminated Millikin from the NCAA Regional with a 4-2 victory. The Tigers moved to 36-2 with their 20th straight win, while the Big Blue finished the season at 32-13.
The Tigers return to the diamond this afternoon to face the winner of the Calvin vs. Belhaven game. First pitch is scheduled for no earlier than 4 p.m. CDT.
The Big Blue got out to a 1-0 lead in the second as Cassie Reed drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on Kaylee Gould's single. Lexus Tennison walked to load the bases before Kailey Pulec lifted a one-out sacrifice fly to left.
Millikin expanded the lead to 2-0 in the fourth as Gould led off with a single and pinch-runner Emma Lewandowski advanced to second on a passed ball. Maddie Holland reached on an error that allowed Lewandowski to move to third. Pulec reached on a fielder's choice as Lewandowski was caught off of third. After Skielyr Trenkle was hit by a pitch, Rylee Blake delivered an RBI single that scored Holland.
DePauw cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fourth as Paige Price led off with a single and moved to second on Grace Smith's sacrifice bunt. Jade Mejia Wick followed with a single that moved Price to third and Price scored on Skylar Barnett's grounder.
Kelsey Bernhard led off the DePauw fifth with a single and moved to second on Kate Geary's hit. Drew Bratcher's sacrifice bunt advanced both and Becca St. Germain followed with a two-run single to give DePauw a 3-2 lead.
The Tigers added a run in the sixth as Chase Epp singled with one out and moved to second when Kate Geary walked. Bratcher walked to load the bases and St. Germain reached on a walk that scored Lily Jennings who was a pinch-runner for Epp.
Bernhard had three of DePauw's eight hits, while St. Germain drove in three. Gould had two of Millikin's four hits.
Cami Henry improved to 20-0 after allowing just four hits and one earned run while retiring 10 of the final 12 batters she faced. Millikin's Aly Armstorng dropped to 19-6.
NOTES
- DePauw improved its all-time NCAA postseason record to 35-25 in its 12th appearance.
- The Tigers' 20-game win streak is the second longest in school history behiond the 2008 string of 37.
- Over her last 21 innings of NCAA play, Cami Henry has allowed just 11 hits with 23 strikeouts and a 1.00 ERA
- Henry's 20 wins mark the sixth time a DePauw player has accomplished that in a season (Megan Soultz: 36 in 2008, 29 2009 and 2010/Emily Bichler: 30 in 2011/Kahla Nolan: 23 in 2014)
- The Tigers have stolen at least one base in 16 straight games
