The Denison softball team secured their third-straight North Coast Athletic Conference regular season championship with a pair of shutout victories over Kenyon College on Sunday afternoon in Granville. The Big Red won the opener 2-0 and recorded a 7-0 decision in the nightcap.

In addition to capturing their eighth NCAC regular season crown, the Big Red secured the top-seed and will host next weekend's conference tournament in Granville.

Senior Erica Evans broke the scoreless tie in the third inning with a solo home run to left field. Denison doubled their lead in the fifth when a double by Rachel Laughlin scored junior Lauren Lynn from second.

Inside the circle, Rebecca Dyer and Laughlin combined for a three-hit shutout. Dyer scattered two hits and struck out four in two innings, while Laughlin (6-1) gave up just one hits and fanned a pair over the final five frames.

The Denison bats pounded out seven runs and 13 hits in the game-two victory. Evans tied the school's single-season home run record with a two-run shot in the first. The senior's 10th long ball of the year scored Karla Dixon.

In the second, rookie Heather Larsen dropped a single into left center that plated Kelsey Hager. Hager drove in Meghan Edwards on an infield single, and sophomore Jessica Robertson scored on a wild pitch to give the Big Red a 5-0 lead through three innings. Denison completed their offensive outburst with a pair of tallies in the bottom of the fourth. Laughlin doubled in Dixon to extend the lead to 6-0. With one out, Laughlin crossed the plate on a double steal.

Hager and Laughlin combined for the shut out win. Hager picked up her conference-leading 11th win of the season after scattering four hits and striking out two in four innings of work. Laughlin tossed three hitless innings en route to her team-leading third save.

Evans finished the day with two home runs, three RBIs and two runs scored, while Laughlin logged three hits, two doubles, two RBIs, a run and a stolen base. Hager also had three hits, while Dixon recorded four hits and scored twice. Since her move to the two-hole on Saturday, Dixon has gone 8-for-14 and improved her batting average by 55 points.

Denison closes out the regular season with a 27-7 overall record and a 12-2 mark in the NCAC, while the Ladies fall to 10-24 and 4-10 in the league. The Big Red will open the NCAC Tournament on Friday (May 6).