The Denison softball team split a doubleheader at Muskingum University on Monday from New Concord, Ohio. The Big Red won the opener 10-6, while the Muskies took the night cap 5-3.
Trailing 2-1, Denison erupted for four runs in the third inning to take a 5-2 advantage. Sophomore Lauren Lynn (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) led the frame off with a home run over the left field wall. With runners at first and second with one out, senior Alex Murray (Mayfield Heights, Ohio/NDCL) laced a base hit to center field that scored junior Erica Evans (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) and moved fellow senior Brie Berkopec (Mars, Pa./Mars Senior) to third base. Following a pitching change by the Muskies, first-year Jessica Robertson (Mt. Gilead, Ohio/Mt. Gilead) and sophomore Hannah Price (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) recorded back-to-back singles to drive in Berkopec and Murray, respectively.
After Muskingum trimmed the deficit to 5-3 with a run in the bottom of the third, the Big Red went back up by three runs on a two-out homer in the fourth by Berkopec, and tacked on three more in the sixth to expand their lead to 9-3.
The Muskies rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth to shrink the margin back to three, but DU added a tally in the seventh to take the opener 10-6.
Senior Leslie Brenner (Deerfield, Ill./Deerfield) picked up her sixth win of the season after allowing six runs on 12 hits. Berkopec finished game one 3-for-4 with a home run, double and three runs scored, while Lynn was 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs. Murray and Price also knocked in a pair of runs.
In game two, Muskingum jumped out to a 5-0 lead after post one run in the first, third and fourth and two in the second. Denison plated two runs in the top of the fifth and added a third tally in the sixth inning on a two-out triple by Lynn. However, Muskingum pitcher Carissa Diebler was able to halt the two-out rally with a strikeout.
Lynn went 2-for-2 with a triple and a double, while Sack also logged a pair of hits. Rookie Nikki McCoy (Ney, Ohio/Fairview) took the loss, allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits in four innings of work.
Denison (12-10) returns to action on Wednesday (April 7) when they open North Coast Athletic Conference play at Kenyon College. Game one of the doubleheader is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m.
