Box Score

LOUISVILLE, Ky. ? The University of South Florida (44-17) softball team fell, 4-1, to No. 20/23 DePaul in the BIG EAST Championship final on Saturday afternoon at Ulmer Stadium in Louisville, Ky.

Starting pitcher Courtney Mosch and Blue Demons' Becca Heteniak engaged in a pitching duel through three innings before DePaul took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth.

With two runners on base and one out in the bottom of the fourth, Capri Catalano came out of the bullpen in favor of Mosch. DePaul's Jackie Tarulli-Fisher followed with an RBI-single. Catalano retired the last two batters to end the inning.

“We ran out of time at the end of the game,” head coach Ken Eriksen said. “We started to swing the bat better towards the end. It would have been nice to have been aggressive from the beginning.

“We have to tip our hats to (DePaul pitcher) Becca Heteniak. She threw the ball extremely well and it just wasn't our day.”

The Blue Demons added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth before Mosch came in to relieve the freshman pitcher. Mosch quickly recorded two outs to strand two runners on base and send the Bulls back to the batters box.

USF avoided the shutout with senior Aya Nakajima's RBI-single up the middle that scored Alison Savarese.

Seniors Mosch and Nakajima went 2-for-3 each for the night. Mosch was credited the loss in the circle and falls to 17-8 for the season.

Four Bulls were named to the BIG EAST Championship All-Tournament Team. Seniors Mosch and Nakajima were joined by junior Britta Giddens and Catalano.

DePaul earned the BIG EAST Conference automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, while the Bulls will have to wait until Sunday night when the NCAA announces at-large bids. The 2008 Division I Softball Selection Show will air at approximately 10 p.m. on ESPNU following the NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse First Round Game.