RALEIGH, N.C. (March 8, 2024) – The Denison University softball team split its first two games of the new 2024 season on Friday at the Grand Slam Triangle Softball Classic. The Big Red first took down No. 18 nationally-ranked Coe College 5-0 in their season opener before falling 10-5 against Meredith College in game two.
 
Game 1 (Denison 5, No. 18 Coe 0):

• In addition to starting the game in the circle, sophomore Brooke Surbaugh (1-0) made the first big strike offensively with a two-out, two-run home run to left field in the bottom of the first inning, scoring fellow-sophomore Jordyn Maurer who singled to right field with one out for the first hit of the game.
• Then after a leadoff single to right field by freshman Emerson Seevers in the bottom of the fourth inning, Surbaugh struck again with a two-run homer, again to left field, to double up Denison's lead to 4-0.
• Junior Jacqui Abogado added a leadoff homer to left field in the bottom of the fifth inning to round out the scoring as the Big Red finished with five runs on six hits.
• In addition to slugging a pair of two-run home runs in her season opener, Surbaugh limited the Kohawks to five hits and two walks while tossing the ninth complete game of her career.

 
Game 2 (Denison 5, Meredith 10):

• After hitting three home runs in game one, Denison got its fourth long ball of the day in the top of the first inning when with two outs, junior Annabelle Calderon sent a ball over the fence in left field on her first at bat of the season to stake the Big Red to a 1-0 lead.
• The Avenging Angels, however, tied it in the bottom half of the first after a hit by pitch and a walk to start the inning was followed by a sacrifice bunt to put two runners into scoring position with just one out. Two batters later, an RBI-groundout to short brought in the first run of the season against the Big Red.
• Walks continued to come back to bite Denison's starter, freshman Madilyn Moffitt (0-1), who after giving up a leadoff walk and then walking another batter with two outs in the bottom of the second inning, saw Meredith come up with an RBI-single to right field and a two-RBI double to center to chase her from the game.
• The Avenging Angels added a two-run home run to left field in the bottom of the third inning, and those runs turned out to be crucial after Denison scored three runs in the top of the fourth inning that otherwise would have tied the game. With two outs and the bases loaded, Denison got a single to center by Maurer followed by an RBI-double to left field by Calderon to make it 6-4, but then a four-run bottom of the fifth inning for Meredith all but put the game out of reach.
• Calderon would add a leadoff homer yet again to left field in the top of the seventh inning as she finished 3-for-4 with three RBI's, two home runs and a double.
• Sophomore Indy Workman was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles while freshman Leilah Ferrari was also 2-for-3.
• Meredith, meanwhile, scored its 10 runs on only seven hits, but drew six walks and two hit by pitches from the Big Red.
• Lillie Davis (4-1), the reigning USA South Rookie Pitcher of the Year, earned the complete game victory for the Avenging Angels.

 
Records:

• It was the first-ever meeting between Denison (1-1 overall) and Coe (5-3) and was just the second meeting between the Big Red and Meredith (6-4) after playing during the Grand Slam Triangle Classic last season.
• The Kohawks, who are ranked fourth in the NFCA DIII preseason poll, were 39-11 and 13-3 in 2023 and were picked to repeat their American Rivers Conference championship from last season while the Avenging Angels have posted back to back 20-plus win seasons and finished last year 22-19 (11-7 USA South).

 
Next Up: The Big Red will return to the Grand Slam Triangle Classic on Sunday, March 10, to battle Huntingdon College at (11 a.m.) and Greensboro College (1 p.m.). Both games will be played at Barber Park, and both will be hosted by Greensboro College in Greensboro, North Carolina.