The Denison University softball team moved on to the final day of the 2011 North Coast Athletic Conference Championship Tournament following a 1-1 record on Friday afternoon. The Big Red blanked Wittenberg in their opening game, but suffered an 8-4 setback to Hiram.

DU starter Kelsey Hager found herself in a couple jams in game one.   The first came in the second inning when back-to-back base hits and a foul out to Karla Dixon put two Tiger runner into scoring position. Hager rebounded by striking out Shelby Ross and getting Brooklyn Cox to ground out to second baseman Rachel Laughlin.

In the top of the fourth, a lead-off single and a double to left center once again put runners at second in third with no outs. The rookie hurler shook off the jitters and got Kaitlyn Harrison to ground out to shortstop Erica Evans for the first out of the inning. Still in danger of giving up the first run of the game, Hager snagged a line drive for the second out of the inning. The first-year escaped the threat by getting Cox to ground out to Laughlin for the second-straight time.

With only two hits through five frames, the Big Red finally broke up the scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth. Laughlin got things started with a lead-off double to left center. After a fielder's choice by Evans put runners at the corners, junior Hannah Price laced a base hit through the right side that plated Laughlin and moved Evans to third base. Rookie catcher Meghan Edwards drove in an insurance run with an RBI fielder's choice to the shortstop.

Just three outs away from advancing to the second round of the winner's bracket, Hager came out for her seventh inning of work. The rookie proved she could field her position as she robbed Ross of a base hit with a cross-body stab for out number one. Hager followed that up by fielding a ground ball and throwing out Cox at first. Wittenberg began to show signs of life with back-to-back singles that allowed the go-ahead run to step into the batter's box. However, Laughlin snagged a hot shot up the middle that capped off the DU victory.

Hager scattered six hits and struck out five en route to her 12th win of the season. The victory also marked her third complete-game shutout of the year. Laughlin and Evans each had a hit and scored a run, while Price and Hager recorded the other two Big Red hits.

Against Hiram, the Terriers erased a 2-1 deficit with a four-run fifth inning. Of the four runs in the frame, three were unearned due to a pair of Denison miscues. DU scored two in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 5-4 contest. A double by Evans coupled with a fielding error in center allowed Laughlin and Dixon to cross the dish. In the sixth, Hiram put up three insurance tallies to rebuild a four-run advantage.

Edwards went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while Dixon had a triple and a run scored. Laughlin had a hit, drove in a run and scored another, while Evans, Price and Fiore each logged a double. Rebecca Dyer fell to 10-4 on the season after allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits with eight Ks in 4.1 innings of work.

Denison (28-8) returns to the field on Saturday (May 7) at 10 a.m. when they take on Ohio Wesleyan University (23-13) in the second elimination game of the 2011 NCAC Tournament. The winner of the game will take on Hiram (24-11) in the championship game at 12 p.m.