After a sluggish start to the season, the Big Red offensive pounded out 19 hits and scored 16 runs in a pair of 8-0 victories over Crown and La Verne at the Tucson Invitational Games on Tuesday.  With those two wins, Denison climbs back to the .500 mark with a 3-3 record.

In the opener against Crown, DU scored in four of the five innings and recorded a base knock in every frame.  The Big Red opened the scoring in the first inning when senior Heather Larsen dropped a single down the left line that scored Lindsey Kenyon from third.  In the second, senior Rachel Laughlin broke roped a triple to right that scored freshman Ryan Lee.  Junior Emily Lipsitz followed Laughlin's triple with a double to left that plated Laughlin.  Denison added two more runs in the fourth thanks to an RBI bunt single by Kerry Hager and a sacrifice fly to center from Julie Rooney.

In the top of the fifth, the Storm started to put some offense together thanks to a walk and infield single.  With runners at first and second, Sarah Petkau dropped a single into center.  Crown tried to break up the shutout by sending Kirby Beers home from second base, however a strong throw from Hager and a perfect relay toss from Anna Balch to Kenyon nabbed the runner at home.  Freshman pitcher Lindsay Divack escaped the second and third jam by inducing a ground out to Laughlin for the third out.

With the help of three Storm errors, Denison put up three runs and completed the five-inning victory.  After Lee was issued a free pass with one out, Balch reached base on a fielder's choice that failed to retire a player.  With two on, Laughlin dropped a single down the left line that scored Lee from second.  With two outs, a fielding error by the Crown third baseman loaded the bases. Jena Willis appeared to have recorded the third out at the plate on a Rooney bunt attempt, but a bobble by the catcher allowed Balch to slide in safely.  The game came to an end when a wild pitch by Willis allowed Laughlin to touch the dish.

Divack picked up her first-collegiate win after tossing five scoreless innings.  She scattered three hits and struck out one in the shutout.  Laughlin was a home run away from the cycle with two RBIs and three runs, while Lee went 2-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored.  Lipsitz also had a double, while Rooney picked up a single and stole a base.

Against the Leopards, Denison got on the board with a three-run third inning.  After back-to-back singles to open the frame, Kenyon ripped an infield single to second that scored Ellen McDevitt-Stredney from second.  Rooney also scored in the inning on a successful delayed double steal with Kenyon.  Kenyon came around to touch the plate when freshman Erin Laswell lined a base hit up the middle.

Senior pitcher Rebecca Dyer faced a bit of trouble in the fifth when Danielle Vela roped a triple down the right line with one out.  However, the senior answered with back-to-back strikeouts to keep La Verne off the board.  In the bottom of the inning, the Big Red scored five times off five hits to complete the sweep.  Gretchen Staubach knocked in Rooney, who lead off the frame with a ground-rule double, with a base hit down the left line.

The Staubach RBI single forced a pitching change that brought in reliever Katherine Kibbe.  Senior Meghan Edwards welcomed the new pitcher the only way she knew how, by going yard.  Edwards belted a three-run homer off the sophomore hurler to give DU a 7-0 lead.  With the bases clear and two outs, Laughlin continued her monster day with a ground-rule double to left.  The senior shortstop came around to score on an Abby Zofchak infield single.

Rooney was 2-for-2 with a double, two runs and a stolen base, while Kenyon also scored twice.  Dyer picked up her first win of the year after scattering three hits and fanning eight batters in five innings of work.  With the win, the senior moves into sole possession of first on the school's career shutouts list with 17.

Laughlin also found her groove offensively after an 0-for-9 start to the 2014 season.  The senior went 5-for-6 on Tuesday with a triple, two doubles, two RBIs and four runs.  Denison (3-3) returns to the diamond on Thursday when they take on Wisconsin-La Crosse (11 a.m. MT) and Augsburg (1:30 p.m. MT).