First-year pitcher Rebecca Dyer tossed her first-career perfect game as the Denison Big Red softball team swept a doubleheader at Case Western Reserve University on Friday afternoon in Cleveland, Ohio.  Denison won the opener 9-0 in five innings, and took game two 7-2.

Dyer's outstanding performance stands as the program's only perfect game dating back to the 2001 season and just the third complete-game no-hitter since 2001 (Bri Scrofano and Courtney Zollars).  Scrofano threw seven innings, struck out seven, walked one and had one runner reach via error in a 5-0 win over Wooster on April 22, 2007.  The other no-no came on April 27, 2002 when Zollars struck out 12 and had one hitter reach base on an error across five innings in a 9-0 win over Oberlin.

The Shelby Township, Mich. native faced the minimum 15 batters over her five innings of work.  She recorded six strikeouts, and induced seven ground outs and two fly outs en route to her sixth win of the season.  The win also marked the rookie's third complete-game shutout in 2011.

DU broke things open in the first two innings of game one.  First-year Rachel Laughlin drove in junior Lauren Lynn on an RBI base hit up the middle.  Hannah Price plated the second run of the first frame thanks to a double to right center.

After sophomore Jessica Robertson led the second off with a single to left, Dyer knocked in the second-year player on an RBI double to right.  For the second-straight inning, Laughlin scored Lynn from third on an RBI single up the middle.  With two on and two down, senior Erica Evans belted a three-run home run to center to put the Big Red on top 7-0.

In the fourth, Laughlin and Evans hit back-to-back solo homers with two outs to extend the DU lead to 9-0.

Laughlin was a perfect 3-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs, while Evans had two home runs, four RBIs and three runs scored.  Dyer also went 2-for-3 at the dish with an RBI-double.

In game two, DU expanded on their 1-0 lead with a three-run second frame.  Following a double by Karla Dixon that put runners at second and third, Lynn hit a double to left that scored both Dixon and Kelsey Hager.  With two outs, Laughlin plated Kait Fiore from first on the third extra-base hit of the inning.

The Spartans were able to cut the deficit in half with a single run in both the second and third innings.  In the seventh, pinch hitter Kelly Cunningham recorded her first-collegiate hit and RBI in the same at bat.  Cunningham's base knock scored Robertson and gave the Big Red a 5-2 edge.  Rosie Glaser, who pinch hit for Hager, scored the second run of the frame on a wild pitch.  The final tally came off the bat of Lynn who drove in Dixon on a single to center.

Hager improved to 6-1 on the year after surrendering two runs on four hits with three strikeouts in 4.2 innings.  Laughlin picked up her first-career save after striking out two and allowing one hit in 2.1 innings out of the bullpen.  Lynn sparked the DU attack with three hits, including two doubles, and three RBIs, while Dixon went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored.

The Big Red improve to 13-3 overall, while the Spartans fall to 6-20.  Denison returns to action on Sunday (April 3) when they host Marietta College.  First pitch from Granville is slated for 1 p.m.