The Denison softball team split a pair of games on the final day of the Sea Gull Invitataional hosted by Salisbury University. The Big Red dropped a 3-0 decision to 13th-ranked Capital University to open the morning and picked up a 10-7 win over Kings College in the second game.
Against Capital, the Big Red mustered just two hits by way of an Erica Evans (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) double and an Alex Murray (Mayfield Heights, Ohio/NDCL) single. The Crusaders (12-0) scored the game-winning run in the third inning and tacked on two insurance tallies on a two-RBI double in the fifth.
Senior Samantha Rumschlag (Carmel, Ind./Cathedral) fell to 1-4 on the year after allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits in six innings of work. Capital pitcher Brittany Stefano tossed a complete-game shutout with six Ks and five free passes.
Against Kings (3-6), Denison belted three two-run home runs including two by senior catcher Brie Berkopec (Mars, Pa./Mars Senior). After only posting two hits against Capital, Denison pounded out 15 hits, including nine extra base hits.
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Berkopec hit her first of two homers to put DU up 2-1. Both squads posted a pair in the second which kept the Big Red on top by one. Sophomore Lauren Lynn (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) plated Murray in the third to extended DU's lead to 5-3.
The Monarchs trimmed the deficit to one in the fourth, but another two-run blast in the bottom of the frame by the senior catcher put Denison ahead 7-4. Still in front by three (8-5) heading into the bottom of the sixth, Murray belted a two-run shot over the left field wall that scored Berkopec. Kings scored twice in the seventh, but it wasn't enough to overcome DU's scoring outburst.
Berkopec finished the game 3-for-5 with two homers, a double, four RBIs and three runs scored, while Murray was 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run, two RBIs and two runs.
First-year pitcher Nikki McCoy (Ney, Ohio/Fairview) tossed 5.1 innings in relief en route to her first collegiate victory. McCoy gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits out of the bullpen.
Denison improves to 4-6 on the year and returns to action on Tuesday (March 23) when they travel Muskingum University. Game time from New Conconrd, Ohio is slated for 3:30 p.m.
