The Denison softball team moved its record to 3-3 on the season after splitting a pair of 8-inning games on Wednesday in Tucson, Ariz. The Big Red opened the day with a 5-4 setback to La Verne, but closed out the afternoon on a positive note with a 6-5 win over Carleton.

Against Carleton, DU once again jumped out to a lead before another late rally tied the game. Denison scored single runs in the first, third and sixth innings, while also pushing across two in the fifth. Freshman Amanda Howell doubled in sophomore Sarah Herold for DU's first run, while junior Kerry Hager knocked in Herold in the third. In the fifth, Herold once again came around to score on a Howell double, while Hager scored on a ground out by freshman Laura Bagan. Freshman Ricki Asher scored the Big Red's fifth run of the game on a pitch-hit double by freshman Marrae Saucedo.

Despite Denison's early advantage, a five-run top of the seventh forced the game into extra innings. With Ryan Lee on second to start the bottom of the eighth via the international tiebreaker rule, Asher put runners at the corners with a base hit. Freshman pitcher Colleen Hoffman helped her own cause with a walk-off base hit that scored Lee from third.

Herold finished the game with three hits and three runs, while Hager, Howell and Asher all had two hits. Howell also drove in two runs. Hoffman picked up her first-collegiate win after surrendering five runs (four earned) on 10 hits with 10 strikeouts in eight innings of work.

Katie Eppard led the Knights with three hits, while Molly Steinberg and Anna Lauko each had a pair of hits. Reliever Sam Kile suffered the loss after giving up two runs (one earned) in 2.2 innings.

In the opener, Denison built an early 3-0 lead behind a pair of runs in the first and another in the fourth. Alexis Schiff got La Verne on the board in the bottom of the fourth with a one-out home run. In her next at-bat in the sixth frame, Schiff struck again, this time with a runner on which tied the game at 3-3.

After a scoreless seventh, the Big Red entered into their first extra-inning situation this season. Pinch runner Maddie Crull began the eighth on second base via the international tiebreaker rule. After moving to third on a sacrifice bunt to third, Lee plated Crull with a one-out base hit. However, the Leopards pushed across two runs in the bottom of the frame to close out the come-from-behind win.

Lee went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while Herold, Mckinly Vazquez and Bagan all recorded two hits. Herold took the hard-luck loss after surrendering five runs (four earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts and three walks.

Sienna Kendricks collected three hits, while Schiff provided the majority of the damage with two home runs. Jaquess Hayley moved to 6-1 on the season after allowing four runs (two earned) on 11 hits with five Ks.

Denison (3-3) returns to the diamond on Thursday (March 17) against Puget Sound (11 a.m. MST) and 21st-ranked Gustavus Adolphus (1:30 p.m. MST).