WINCHESTER, Va. (March 16, 2024) – The Denison University softball team traveled to Virginia to battle Shenandoah University for the first time on Saturday and picked up wins of 9-0 in six innings and 5-4 in nine innings over the Hornets. Game two saw the Big Red overcome two two-run deficits before winning it in extra innings.
 
Game 1 (Denison 9, Shenandoah 0):

• Denison scored first on back-to-back one-out doubles by Leilah Ferrari and Annabelle Calderon in the first inning.
• In the bottom of the first, Brooke Surbaugh (2-2) got a swinging strikeout to strand a two-out triple on third base.
• Jacqui Abogado then led off the top of the second with a first-pitch double off the fence in center field, Denison's third double of the game already, and then Alessandra Groome followed with a home run to right center field to make it 3-0 Big Red.
• Surbaugh set the Hornets down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the second, and then with one out in the top of the third inning, Denison continued to take advantage of the left-to-right wind as Calderon put another home run over the fence in right center, making it 4-0 Big Red with their fifth extra-base hit of the game.
• Another extra-base hit for the Big Red, this time a one-out double down the left field line by Indy Workman in the fifth inning, was followed by a two-out single to center field by Calderon, her third RBI-hit of the game, to make it 5-0.
• After three straight singles to start the sixth inning, Denison broke the game wide open with a three-run homer to left center field by Madilyn Moffitt to make it 9-0.
• In the end, Denison scored in all but one inning and finished with four doubles and three home runs.
• Calderon was 3-for-3 with three RBI's while Abogado and Gromme were both 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
• Surbaugh earned her third complete game and second shutout of the season after allowing four hits, two walks and five strikeouts.

 
Game 2 (Denison 5, Shenandoah 4):

• Back-to-back errors to start the bottom of the first were followed by an RBI-single to left for the first run of the game, and it could have been worse as the Hornets left the bases loaded with a lineout to shortstop.
• Shenandoah added a solo home run to center field with one out in the second inning.
• Calderon led off the top of the fourth inning with a double to right center and advanced to third on a passed ball before a walk to Surbaugh. Then after the pinch runner, Natalie Omahen, stole second base to put two runners into scoring position, Denison got a sacrifice fly to right field by Abogado but left the tying run on third base after a groundout to second base to end the inning.
• In the fifth inning, Brianna Gonzalez led off with a single to center, stole both second and third base, but was stranded after back-to-back groundouts.
• The Hornets made the Big Red pay for leaving runners at third base in the last two innings as they took advantage of a one-out walk and a throwing error at shortstop and added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly to right field in the bottom of the fifth.
• For the second time in three innings, Calderon raced into second base with a leadoff double to right center in the sixth inning, and this time with two outs and a runner on third, Denison was able to pay it off as Abogado singled to center to score Calderon and make it 3-2.
• Groome then followed with a huge double to right center that allowed Abogado to score all the way from first base and tie it at 3-3.
• That is where the score remained until the top of the eighth inning when Clara Wolff came up with an RBI-groundout to score the free runner who started the inning on second base, Ferrari.
• In the bottom of the eighth, Shenandoah tied it and then nearly won it with a hit up the middle with two outs and a runner on second base, but a diving stop and throw by Ferrari at shortstop kept the game going.
• Denison just pushed across a run in the top of the ninth thanks to a two-out hit up the middle by Jordyn Maurer.
• In the bottom half of the ninth, the Big Red got a 4-3 double play for the first two outs, moving the tying run to third base, and Moffitt (1-1) proceeded to get a foul out to first base to close out the game.
• Moffitt finished with five innings pitched allowing two unearned runs, three hits, two walks and two strikeouts, and did a great job of keeping Denison in the game and giving them a fighting chance until the very end.
• Denison's starting pitcher, Sydney Silverstein, pitched the first four innings allowing two total runs, just one earned run and six hits to go along with zero walks and three strikeouts.
• Shenandoah's Kayla Stephenson (2-1) pitched all nine innings allowing five total runs, three earned runs, seven hits, two walks and three strikeouts.
• From the plate, Calderon was 2-for-4 with two doubles while Maurer matched her with a 2-for-4 effort.
• Calderon and Abogado both scored twice as well while Abogado added two RBI's and Surbaugh walked twice.

 
Records:

• It was the first-ever meeting between Denison (4-4 overall) and Shenandoah (8-6).

 
Next Up: Denison will host Chatham University starting at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20. It will be the first of three straight home doubleheaders for the Big Red.