FRANKLIN, Ind. (March 13, 2022) – Playing for the first time in 12 days, the Denison University softball team swept its two games at Franklin College, winning game one 11-2 in six innings before grinding out a 2-1 win in game two on Sunday at Behrens Field.
 
Game 1 (Denison 11, Franklin 2):

• In the first two innings of the game, Denison put up eight runs on seven hits.
• Maggie Ballentine led off the game with a single and later scored on an RBI-groundout by Annabelle Calderon to start a five-run top of the first inning for Denison.
• After the groundout by Calderon, Claire Powell scored on a wild pitch, Caitlin Ellwanger singled to bring in Allie Kovatch, Jacqui Abogado singled to score Sam Kline, and Clara Wolff doubled to right field to score Abogado.
• The Big Red added three more runs in the top of the second inning as Ballentine led off with a double to left field for her second hit of the game and then scored on an RBI-groundout by Kovatch. Then, back-to-back RBI-doubles to right field by Ellwanger and Kline made it 8-1.
• In the bottom of the third inning, Franklin loaded the bases with only one out, but two fielder's choice plays at home got Denison out of the inning ahead by a score of 8-2.
• The Big Red then made it a seven-run lead again in the top of the fourth inning as yet another lead off hit, this time to center field by Powell, again led to a run. Powell stole second, advanced to third on a fly out to right field by Calderon and then scored on a single by Ellwanger, who was 3-for-3 with three RBI's to that point.
• In the top of the sixth inning, Powell led off with a walk, stole second base for her third steal of the game, and then scored her fourth run of the game on a triple to right center by Calderon. Ellwanger then followed with her fourth RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly to left field to score Calderon.
• Freshman Sydney Silverstein (2-2) pitched her second complete game in a row and finished with four hits, two walks and zero earned runs allowed.

 
Game 2 (Denison 2, Franklin 1):

• The only hit by either team in the first three innings was a double by Ballentine in the top of the third inning.
• Then with two outs in the top of the fourth inning, back-to-back doubles by Ellwanger and Abogado got the Big Red on the scoreboard first.
• Ballentine homered with two outs in the top of the fifth to make it 2-0 Big Red, and that would prove to be the winning run.
• After entering to pitch with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the fifth and getting out of it with a groundout to second base, Silverstein then got a double play to end the bottom of the sixth.
• Then after two Franklin batters singled with one out in the bottom of the seventh, good defense by Ballentine at shortstop kept the tying run from reaching third, and then a groundout to Kline at second base ended it.
• Silverstein finished with 2.1 innings pitched allowing three hits and no runs to earn her first career save, and Sophia Parpala (3-2) was the winning pitcher after allowing four hits and only one run over the first 4.1 innings.
• After finishing with three hits in game one, Ellwanger matched Ballentine with two hits in game two.

 
Records:

• After what was the first ever meeting between the two teams, Denison improves to 4-5 on the season while Franklin drops to 4-6.

 
Next Up: The Big Red will have one more road doubleheader at the University of Mount Union on Saturday, March 19, before playing at home for the first time this season against Mount St. Joseph University on Thursday, March 24.