Softball: Big Red bow out of NCAC Tournament

The top-seeded Denison softball team bowed out of the 2009 North Coast Athletic Conference Softball Championship Tournament following a 2-1 loss to the third-seeded Allegheny College Gators in the first elimination game on Saturday afternoon in Granville.

After three scoreless inning the Gators jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth frame. Following a lead off single by Steph Baer and a sacrifice bunt by Rachel Ryan, Katie Wills laced an RBI double to left center with two outs to plate Baer. Potuzko followed that up with a double to right center that brought home Wills. Denison hurler Sam Rumschlag (Carmel, Ind./Cathedral) minimized the damage by fanning Sarah Doan with runners on the corners.

The Big Red cut the deficit in half in the sixth inning on a lead off home run to left center field by junior catcher Brie Berkopec (Mars, Pa./Mars Senior). Denison posed a scoring threat in the seventh, but Allegheny turned an unconventional double play to eliminate the danger. Gator pitcher Stacey Robertshaw retired the next batter as AC moved on in the tournament.

Robertshaw scattered seven hits en route to her 12th win of the season. Wills finished the day 3-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored and Baer was 2-for-4 with a run.

Rumschlag surrendered 10 hits and struck out two batters in the loss. Rookie Lauren Lynn (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) went 2-for-3 while Mary Beth Krolikowski (Brunswick, Ohio/Holy Name), Emily Croll (Oak Harbor, Ohio/Oak Harbor), Rumschlag and Amanda Tipton (Massillon, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) accounted for the other DU hits.

Denison finishes their season with a 21-18 record while Allegheny improves to 23-17 and will take on No. 4 Ohio Wesleyan in the second elimination game.