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Box Score 2 MEADVILLE, Pa.-- Denison softball put the finishing touches on the regular season with a sweep of Allegheny. The Big Red won game one, 9-0 and took game two, 9-5. Winners of 12 of their last 13, Denison will be the No. 2 seed in next week's North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.
In game one against the Gators, Sarah Herold improved to 11-4 after a complete game two-hitter with five strikeouts. Herold notched her 100th strikeout of the season and now has 291 strikeouts in her career which ranks her fifth all-time.
DU scored three runs in the second inning via a 2-run triple by Ricki Asher that scored Mckinly Vazquez and Laura Bagan. Emilie Fisher followed with a double down the right field line to score Asher.
In the fifth, Amanda Howell poked an RBI single to right to put Denison on top, 4-0. The Big Red broke the game wide open in the top of the sixth on a 3-run home run to centerfield by Lauren Secaras. That home run moved Secaras into a tie for first place all-time at Denison with Brie Berokpec. Secaras' 199 career hits move her to within four hits of the program's career leader, Julie Rooney.
Herold also went 2-for-4 at the plate with one RBI and two runs scored. Lindsey Clemson was 2-for-3 and Asher was 1-for-2 with three RBIs.
In game two, Colleen Hoffman moved to 9-3 with a six-hit, two earned run performance over six innings. Secaras slammed the door on the 9-5 win in the seventh. Howell blasted a solo home run to right-center and slugged an RBI double in the first inning. Fisher was 3-for-5 with three RBIs and Asher went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI. Bagan also went 2-for-4 with a double and a pair of RBIs.
As the No. 2 seed in the NCAC Tournament, Denison will take on No. 3 DePauw at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 4 in Springfield, Ohio.
Denison (24-8, 13-3 NCAC) checks into the postseason as one of the hottest teams in the region. Not only have they won 12 of 13, they also posted a stellar 18-4 record in the month of April. The team hit .377 with 20 home runs, 55 doubles and 155 RBIs. They outscored the opposition 167-53 over the 22-game stretch. The pitching has been equally impressive, posting a 1.45 ERA while the opponent's ERA is a gaudy 7.12.
