Tucson, Ariz., March 7, 2020 – The Washington University in St. Louis softball team exploded for a season-high run total in a 12-1 upset victory in five innings over No. 8 DePauw University Saturday at the 2020 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Leadoff Classic in Tucson, Ariz. 

WashU suffered an 11-9 loss to Transylvania University in the opener after a six-run seventh inning by the Pioneers.

Freshman Tami Wong went 5-for-7 in the two games with four RBIs, and is now hitting a team-best .520 through eight games.

Transylvania 11, WashU 9 – Game One
Wong was 2-for-4 with three RBI in the game one defeat, while freshman Payton Irwin (2-4, two runs, RBI) and sophomore Nicole Hay (2-4, run) also had a multi-hit game for WashU. The Bears had 10 hits in the loss.

Wong drove in three runs in the first two innings, including a two-RBI triple in the second to put WashU up 4-0.

A two-run homerun by freshman Kayla Nommensen in the fourth put WashU up 9-4.

Transy scored a run in the fourth and then scored six runs on four hits in the seventh, and walked it off on a three-run homerun by Janelle Hynes.

Sophomore Madison Denton (2-2) took the loss allowing nine hits and seven earned runs, while sophomore Holly Stoner allowed four hits and four earned runs in four innings out of the bullpen. 

WashU 12, #8 DePauw 1 – Game Two (Five Innings)
The Bears had nine hits in the upset win, and took advantage of five errors by DePauw. 

WashU built a 6-1 lead after two innings, highlighted by a three-run inside-the park homerun by Hay in the second.

The Bears scored five runs in the fourth to put the game out of reach. Wong, Hay, Nommensen and junior Natasha Ramakrishnan all had RBIs in the inning.

Denton (3-2) tossed a complete game allowing four hits and one unearned run.

WashU (5-3) wraps up play at the NFCA Leadoff Classic on Sunday with a pair of games against No. 19 Mary Hardin-Baylor (9 a.m.) and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (1 p.m.).