The St. John’s softball team was swept by DePaul last weekend, losing three games by a combined score of 26-7.

In the first of two games on Saturday, the game was called after five innings with the score 12-2. Red Storm pitcher Ashley Beza was hammered for 11 runs on 10 hits in only 2 2/3 innings of work. DePaul’s offense scored in every inning, including four runs in the bottom of the first.

The Blue Demons added two in the second, five in the third and one more in the fourth to give them a 12-0 lead going into the fifth. Though St. John’s added two run on a passed ball and an RBI groundout, the only positive is that DePaul didn’t have another chance to come to the plate to extend their lead.

St. John’s once again found themselves down 4-0 after the first inning of the second game, as DePaul jumped on St. John’s starter Linzee Sumrall to score four runs in the first inning. The outburst started when DePaul’s Lynsey Ciezki drew a bases loaded walk to plate Alex Morocco. By the time the third out was recorded, the St. John’s side already found themselves in a hole of which they would not be able to climb out.

Though the Red Storm cut the lead to 4-1 in the third, DePaul answered with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it 6-1. Though they would score a run in the top of the fifth, the Red Storm would not threaten again and lost 7-2.

St. John’s dropped the final game of the series, 7-2 as DePaul completed the sweep. Sumrall surrendered a home run to DePaul’s Samantha Dodd on the second pitch of the second inning, then a solo shot to Katelyn Braget to start the third. Beza was then summoned in relief, but gave up an RBI groundout to give DePaul a 5-0 lead.

St. John’s threatened in the fourth with two runners in scoring position and only one out, but Verdun got out of the jam and further bolstered her day by leading off the sixth inning with a solo home run. DePaul scored its final run on an RBI groundout.

St. John’s dropped to 13-21 and DePaul improved to 20-10. The Red Storm next take on Seton Hall in South Orange, NJ on April 6 in a doubleheader.