GREENSBORO, N.C. (March 10, 2024) – The Denison University softball team split its final two games of the Grand Slam Triangle Softball Classic on Sunday. The Big Red first fell 5-2 to Huntingdon College before coming back to win 4-0 against Greensboro College.
 
Game 1 (Denison 2, Huntingdon 5):

• For an undefeated Huntingdon team, pitcher Allie Roberts (8-0) struck out the side in both the first and second innings and pitched a 1-2-3 top of the third inning.
• After loading the bases with two walks and a hit by pitch and scoring on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the first inning, Huntingdon got back-to-back doubles to start its half of the third inning and took a 2-0 lead.
• Roberts allowed just one base runner in the first three innings while striking out eight Big Red hitters, but in the fourth inning, a leadoff walk by Jordyn Maurer was followed by Denison's first hit of the game, a one-out single to right center field by Brooke Surbaugh. However, after Denison loaded the bases with just one out, Roberts dug down deep and got back-to-back swinging strikeouts to keep the Big Red off of the scoreboard. With two outs, Jacqui Abogado nearly sent an extra-base hit down the left field line, but it was just foul.
• Huntingdon added two unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth to double up its lead to 4-0, and then Denison finally got on the board in the fifth inning with a two-out rally featuring a single through the right side by Indy Workman followed two batters later with an RBI-single up the middle by Annabelle Calderon to score Workman.
• In the sixth inning, a two-out double down the left field line by Alessandra Groome scored Brianna Gonzalez all the way from first base to cut Denison's deficit to 4-2, but the Hawks got the run back with a sacrifice fly in the bottom half.
• Denison got the tying run to the plate after singles by Maurer and Surbaugh in the seventh inning, but Roberts added two more strikeouts to her total to finish with her fifth complete game of the season.
• Roberts allowed seven hits, two runs and four walks while striking out 17 Big Red hitters. In 52 innings pitched so far this season, she has recorded 77 strikeouts, good for an average of 10.37 strikeouts per seven innings.
• Surbaugh (1-1) was the lone Big Red player with two hits offensively, and she also finished with six innings pitched allowing five hits, five total runs, and three earned runs to go along with five walks and five strikeouts.
• Despite the loss, the Big Red outhit the Hawks 7-5.

 
Game 2 (Denison 4, Greensboro 0):

• After an error with two outs by the Greensboro left fielder extended the bottom of the first inning, Surbaugh made them pay with an RBI-double to deep left field to score Calderon and put the Big Red on the board first.
• With a solo home run to left field in the second inning, Abogado joined Surbaugh and Calderon as Big Red players with two home runs during the opening weekend of the season.
• Calderon, however, took herself out of that group with a two-run home run to center in the third inning, making it 4-0 Big Red.
• Sydney Silverstein (1-0), meanwhile, made her first start of the season and pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the second, third and fifth innings before finishing with just four hits allowed, all singles, to go along with one walk and six strikeouts. It was the 20th complete game and fifth shutout of her career so far.

 
Records:

• It was the first meeting for Denison (2-2 overall) against both Huntingdon (15-0) and Greensboro (7-4).

 
Next Up: The Big Red will return to Granville, Ohio, for their home opener against Muskingum University starting at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13.