The Denison softball team picked up a pair of victories on Tuesday at the Tucson Invitational Games in Tucson, Ariz. The Big Red was victorious 9-1 in five innings against Crown and defeated Marian (Wis.) 12-2 in six innings.

In the opener against Crown, the Big Red scored nine-straight runs highlighted by a seven-run second inning. The Storm pushed across their only run in the top of the first thanks to a pair of Big Red errors. Denison answered in the second with seven runs on just two hits and one error. Crown's biggest bug-a-boo in the inning was the free pass.  The Storm pitchers issued five-consecutive walks to open the second. Sophomore Lindsey Kenyon provided the first hit of the frame, a two-run single, while freshman Lauren Secaras belted a two-out, three-run homer to cap off the scoring. For Secaras, it marked her third home run in 13 at bats.

Secaras also got the start inside the circle and backed up DU's strong offensive showing by retiring the side in order in the top of the third. In the bottom of the frame, the Storm was burned by the base-on-balls once again when senior Julie Rooney knocked in Kerry Hager, who reached on via walk, with a double. DU's ninth run of the game also reached base with a free pass. After drawing the second walk of the inning, freshman Marlie Mounts eventually came around to score on a Mckinly Vazquez sacrifice fly to right.

Kenyon, who finished 2-for-2 with two RBIs and a run, extended her string of consecutive hits to five-straight at-bats. She also extended her streak of reaching base successfully to six plate appearances in a row. Secaras also registered her third multi-RBI game of the season after driving in three runs with her second-inning homer. Mounts and Hager also touched the dish twice. Secaras (1-0) tossed five innings of two-hit, one-run (unearned) ball with four strikeouts and just one walk.

Sarah Petkau and Janelle Williams had Crown's two hits. Taylor Urcuyo took the loss after giving up three runs on just one hit with four walks in an inning-plus of work. As a staff, the Storm allowed just four hits, but issued 11 walks.

Against the Sabres, DU erupted for five runs in the top of the second inning. After opening the inning with three-straight singles, Hager plated the first run, Mounts, with a sacrifice fly to center. Freshman Erinn Henry followed with an RBI single that scored Lee. Senior Emily Lipsitz drove in Vazquez with a base hit, while singles by Kenyon and Secaras each scored a run. Lipsitz provided another run in the fourth when she scored on a Secaras double.

Marian cut into the deficit with two runs in the fifth. However, a six-run top of the sixth set up the early finish. Rooney knocked in Hager from second with a double, while Lipsitz followed with an RBI single. The senior would come around to score on a SAC fly to center by Mounts. Lee, Vazquez and Hager also provided RBI hits in the inning. The Sabres did get two runners on, but a Laswell strikeout secured the 10-run win.

Kenyon, Secaras and Hager pounded out three hits each, while Rooney, Lipsitz, Mounts and Vazquez all had two apiece. Sophomore Erin Laswell improved to 2-2 on the year after striking out six in six innings of work.

Denison enters its day off with a 4-2 record. The Big Red returns to the diamond on Thursday against St. Joseph's Brooklyn (4:30 pm EDT) and Puget Sounds (6:30 pm EDT).