The Denison University Big Red kept their dreams of another North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament title alive after edging Hiram College 2-1 in the first elimination game of the 2010 NCAC Tournament on Friday afternoon in Granville.
The Big Red jumped out to a 2-0 lead after logging three-consecutive hits to open the second inning. First-year Jessica Robertson (Mt. Gilead, Ohio/Mt. Gilead) lead off the frame with a double to left field. Sophomore Hannah Price (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) followed that up by dropping a base hit into shallow center field that moved Robertson to third. On the play, Price moved up to second on the throw to third. Senior Molly Sack (Toledo, Ohio/Sylvania Southview) knocked in Robertson and Price on a single to center to give DU the early edge.
Senior pitcher Leslie Brenner (Deerfield, Ill./Deerfield) carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning before the Terriers' Kelly Langland blasted a solo home run over the left field wall. Brenner also gave up a two-out double to Jena Ervin in the fourth, but got Megan Troxell to ground out to second to escape the inning.
Hiram started to rally in the top of the fifth. With one down, Kristen Cooney laced a single through the right side of the infield. After Ashley Crowder fouled out to senior catcher Brie Berkopec (Mars, Pa./Mars Senior), a double by Whitney Dropsey and a base-on-balls issued to Marlene Smith loaded the bags. Looking to get out of the jam unscathed, Denison head coach Tiffany Ozbun handed the ball to fellow senior Samantha Rumschlag (Carmel, Ind./Cathedral). Ozbun's plan worked to perfection as Rumschlag struck out a very dangerous Langland to get out of the threat.
DU had a chance to add to their lead in the bottom of the fifth with two down and the bases juiced, but Dropsey was able to induce a ground out to second to escape her own jam.
The fifth-inning scare was the last threat the Terriers were able to muster as Rumschlag retired the side in both the sixth and seventh. The Carmel, Ind. native tossed 2.1 hitless innings with four strikeouts en route to her fifth career save. With the save, Rumschlag moved into a tie for first with Courtney Zollars (1999-02) and Jen Anthony (2004-07) on DU's all-time career list. Brenner logged her 16th win of the season after surrendering one run and scattering four hits in 4.2 innings of work.
Price finished the game 3-for-3 with a run scored, while Robertson logged a double and Sack drove in a pair.
In their first game of the day the Big Red suffered a 3-1 setback to the Tigers of Wittenberg University. Trailing 2-0 after five and a half innings, Denison cut the deficit in half when a Robertson singled plated pinch runner Rosie Glaser (Chicago, Ill./Jones College Prep) from third in the sixth inning. However, Wittenberg's Cam Catalfu went yard in the seventh to put the Tigers back up by two runs.
Denison (26-15) returns to action on Saturday (May 8) when they take on rival Ohio Wesleyan University at 11 a.m. in the second elimination game of the 2010 NCAC Softball Championship Tournament. The winner of that game will take on Wittenberg in the championship game scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
