The Denison University softball team posted 22 runs and hammered out 31 hits in a doubleheader sweep of North Coast Athletic Conference foe Oberlin College on Saturday afternoon in Granville. The Big Red won game one 10-3, and took the nightcap 12-8.
Denison trailed 3-0 through two and a half innings in the opener. Senior Brie Berkopec (Mars, Pa./Mars Senior) plated the Big Red's first run in the third on a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Emily Croll (Oak Harbor, Ohio/Oak Harbor). Junior Erica Evans (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) also crossed the dish on the play after advancing to third on the fly out and scoring on a throwing error. Denison tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the four when Croll's RBI single drove in pinch runner Rosie Glaser (Chicago, Ill./Jones College Prep).
DU broke the game open with a five-run fifth frame. After smacking a one-out double down the left field line, senior Alex Murray (Mayfield Heights, Ohio/NDCL) scored on a single by first-year Jessica Robertson (Mt. Gilead, Ohio/Mt. Gilead). Following back-to-back base hits by sophomore Hannah Price (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) and senior Molly Sack (Toledo, Ohio/Sylvania Southview) to load the bags, sophomore Lauren Lynn (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) cleared the bases with a two-out triple that sailed over the right fielder's head and rolled all the way to the wall in right center. Denison capped off the inning with a Croll single that scored Lynn from third. The Big Red locked up the win in the sixth when Murray belted a two-run homer over the wall in left center.
After allowing three runs on six hits in the opening three innings, senior pitcher Leslie Brenner (Deerfield, Ill./Deerfield) scattered just three hits in the final four frames en route to her 10th win of the season. Brenner recorded five strikeouts in the win.
In game two, the Yeowomen jumped out to an early advantage with a five-run top of the first. In the first, Oberlin saw their first six batters reach base safely. With one out in the first, Brenner returned to the circle with runners at the corners. The senior hurler struck out the first batter she faced, and got Kristine Kuchta to line out to Murray as she worked out of the inherited jam.
Denison answered in the bottom of the second when they scored seven runs off Oberlin pitcher Jen Sees. Sack trimmed the deficit to 5-1 with a one-out single to right that scored Robertson. After a fielder's choice out a home, the Big Red began their two-out rally. Following a single up the middle by Lynn to loaded the bases, a costly fielding error at second allowed DU's second run to score and kept the inning alive for the home team. Evans laced a double down the left field line to plate Lynn and sophomore Kait Fiore (Millburn, N.J./Millburn) to shrink the deficit to one (5-4). Berkopec followed that up with a three-run bomb to left that gave Denison a 7-5 edge. DU tacked on another insurance run in the fifth when Robertson's single knocked in Murray.
The Big Red added what proved to be four important runs in the bottom of the sixth. Croll and Murray each recorded two-run single to expanded Denison's lead to 12-5 heading into the seventh. The Yeowomen were able to string together four hits and score three runs in the final inning, but it wasn't enough to overcome DU's high-powered offense. The victory in game two marked the 300th win for the Denison softball program, which is currently in its 14th season.
Brenner improved to 11-5 on the year after surrendering three runs on nine hits with three Ks in 6.2 innings out of the bullpen. Between the two contests, the senior went 10 consecutive scoreless innings before allowing a run in the seventh frame of second game.
Murray went a combined 6-for-8 with three doubles, a home run, four RBIs and three runs scored to pace the Denison offense. Croll was 5-for-8, drove in four runs and scored three, while Lynn went 5-for-7 with a triple, a double, three RBIs and three runs scored. Sack logged four hits, including a double, knocked in a run and scored a pair, while both Berkopec and Evans posted three hits. Berkopec had a home run, four RBIs and three runs scored, while Evans recorded a double, drove in two and scored twice. DU's one through five hitters combined to hit .579 (22-for-38) on the day with 17 RBIs, 14 runs scored and eight extra base hits.
Denison improves to 19-11 overall and 5-1 in the NCAC, while Oberlin falls to 4-24 on the year and 1-5 in league action. The Big Red continues their four-game homestand on Tuesday when they host conference rival Wittenberg University. Game one of the doubleheader is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m.
