GRANVILLE, Ohio (March 24, 2024) – The Denison University softball team hosted a 9-1 Allegheny College squad at the Big Red Softball Field on Sunday and sent the Gators home with a pair of losses, 6-1 and 2-1. Sophomore Brooke Surbaugh hit a home run and pitched a complete game in game one before bringing in the winning run with an RBI-single in the bottom of the sixth in game two.
 
Game 1 (Denison 6, Allegheny 1):

• Allegheny loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the first inning, but a nice double play by Jacqui Abogado stepping on third base and then throwing out the runner at home for the first two outs helped keep the Gators off the scoreboard.
• Denison got a leadoff single to left field by Jordyn Maurer and a two-out single through the left side by Annabelle Calderon in the bottom of the first before the two starting pitchers, Surbaugh (3-2) and Aleya Belardinelli (3-2), proceeded to retire 12 batters in a row before a two-out walk by Alessandra Groome in the bottom of the third.
• In the top of the fourth, Allegheny led off with a bloop single to right center followed by a hard-hit double to left center before pushing across the first run of the game on an unearned run. However, with the bases loaded and just one out, Surbaugh got back-to-back swinging strikeouts to keep it a one-run game.
• Denison then came back with a vengeance in the bottom of the fourth as Surbaugh smacked a one-out double to center field and just beat the throw into second base. Then with two outs, an error on a popup to shortstop allowed the pinch runner, Natalie Omahen, to score and get the Big Red on the scoreboard.
• The inning continued as Clara Wolff laced a two-run double to left center to score Indy Workman and Abogado, and then after Wolff stole third base, she came across on an RBI-single up the middle by Maurer.
• The top of the fifth inning ended with a great diving stop and throw by Abogado at third base and a clean pick by Maurer at first base for the third out, and then after Calderon drew a hit by pitch in the bottom of the fifth, Surbaugh absolutely onloaded on a two-run home run to left field to again help her own cause in the circle.
• It was the third home run of the season for Surbaugh, who struck out the side looking in the top of the second and sent the Gators down in order in the third, fifth and sixth innings as well.
• In addition to the complete game, Surbaugh allowed just four hits, one unearned run and zero walks while striking out 10 batters.
• Both Surbaugh and Maurer finished with two hits while Surbaugh was 2-for-3 with a home run and a double.

 
Game 2 (Denison 2, Allegheny 1):

• Denison scored first in the bottom of the first after a one-out double to right field by Groome and a two-out double to center field by Calderon. It was the first run of the season allowed by Allegheny's Samantha Dzierba (3-1) in four appearances and 22 innings this season.
• It took until the top of the sixth for the Gators to get on the board and tie it as a leadoff single and a sacrifice bunt put a runner into scoring position with one out, and then with two outs and the runner on third base, Allegheny's Sofia Genareo singled to left field, just over the outstretched glove of Leilah Ferrari at shortstop.
• With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Calderon singled to left field, and then after a wild pitch on a 2-2 count with Surbaugh at the plate moved Calderon to second, Surbaugh came up clutch yet again with a single to center field, sending Calderon home to put the Big Red right back in front.
• In the seventh, Sydney Silverstein (2-1) got back-to-back swinging strikeouts for the first two outs of the inning before a groundout to Ferrari at short to end it.
• Silverstein finished with seven innings pitched allowing four hits, one run and two walks to go along with eight strikeouts.
• Calderon was 2-for-3 at the plate.

 
Records:

• With four complete game performances from the pitching staff this week, Denison improves to 8-4 overall while Allegheny, which started its season 9-0 for the first time since 2012, is now 9-3.
• It was the first meeting between the two teams since Allegheny left the North Coast Athletic Conference following the 2022 season.

 
Next Up: Denison will host its third straight doubleheader at 4/6 p.m. on Monday, March 25, against Mount St. Joseph University.