GRANVILLE, Ohio (April 26, 2023) – Sydney Silverstein and Brooke Surbaugh both pitched complete games as the Denison University softball team earned its fourth sweep in six North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheaders so far this season. The Big Red took the first game against Wittenberg University by a score of 8-5 before earning a narrow 3-2 victory over the Tigers in game two. It was the final two NCAC games at home for the Big Red this season.
 
Game 1 (Denison 8, Wittenberg 5):

• Wittenberg struck first with a two-out, two-run home run to left center field in the first inning and then added an unearned run on an error at first base with two outs in the second inning.
• Brianna Gonzalez led off the bottom of the third inning with a double over the head of the center fielder, and then a first-pitch single to left center field by Clara Wolff scored Gonzalez to get the Big Red on the board down 3-1.
• Maggie Ballentine followed with another double over the center fielder to score Wolff, and then after a single to right field by Jordyn Maurer put runners at the corners still with nobody out in the inning, a sacrifice fly to right field by Jacqui Abogado brought home Ballentine to tie it at 3-3.
• Denison kept its momentum going and started off the bottom of the fourth inning with three straight singles by Surbaugh, Alessandra Groome and Gonzalez to load the bases. Two batters later, Ballentine came up with her second straight double, this time to right center field to score two runs and give the Big Red their first lead of the day.
• Denison added two more runs in the remainder of the fourth inning as a wild pitch scored Gonzalez and moved Ballentine to third base, setting up a sacrifice fly to left field by Maurer to bring home Ballentine and make it 7-3.
• Silverstein (9-5) pitched her eighth complete game of the season and allowed nine hits, five total runs, four earned runs, two walks and five strikeouts.
• Ballentine finished 3-for-4 with three RBI's, two runs and two doubles while Maurer, Surbaugh, Gonzalez and Wolff were all 2-for-3.

 
Game 2 (Denison 3, Wittenberg 2):

• With two outs and runners on first and second base in the bottom of the second inning, Gonzalez came up big with a two-run double to left center field to make it 2-0 Big Red.
• Then with two runners in scoring position and two outs for Wittenberg in the top of the third inning, the Tigers got on the scoreboard with a single up the middle, but the runner from second base was gunned down by Gonzalez at home plate to keep Denison in the lead.
• Ballentine then quickly got Denison its two-run lead back with a leadoff home run to left center field in the bottom half of the third inning.
• Surbaugh (6-7) got a flyout to Gonzalez in center field to strand two runners in scoring position in the top of the fifth inning, but then an error on an overplay by Gonzalez in the sixth inning allowed the leadoff hitter for Wittenberg to advance to second base, setting up a run two batters later to get the Tigers to within one of the Big Red at 3-2.
• Then clinging to the one-one lead in the seventh inning, Surbaugh got a lineout to Indy Workman at shortstop on her first pitch and got a groundout to Abogado at third base on her next pitch for out number two. Fortunately, after a two-out single to left field put the tying run on base for the Tigers, another first-pitch out on a flyout to a running Wolff in right field ended it.
• Surbaugh finished with her sixth complete game of the season and allowed five hits, two unearned runs, four walks and five strikeouts.
• Annabelle Calderon finished 3-for-3 while Ballentine was 3-for-4 with a home run and Groome was 2-for-3.

 
Records:

• Denison improves to 17-13 overall and 9-3 in the NCAC while Wittenberg falls to 10-25 and finishes up its conference slate at 7-7.
• With the win over Wittenberg, which is currently in fifth place in the NCAC standings, the Big Red have officially clinched a berth to the NCAC Tournament.

 
Next Up: The Big Red will play their final two conference games of the season as they travel to DePauw University for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 29. A sweep over the Tigers would give the Big Red their first NCAC Championship since 2011.