Women's Softball

Softball Needs Three Wins on Saturday to Repeat as Champs

Date: May 4, 2007
Location: GRANVILLE

Denison went 1-1 to open play in the 2007 North Coast Athletic Conference softball championship and will face Hiram College on Saturday at 11 a.m. for the right to face Allegheny College in the championship game at 1 p.m.

Denison, who entered the tournament as the top seed and defending champion, needed 11 innings to defeat Hiram 7-6 in the second game of the tournament. Following the win, DU faced #3 seed Allegheny and Gator pitcher Alicia Morley held DU to just three hits in a complete game 2-0 victory.

In the opener versus Hiram, Denison rallied from a 3-0 first inning deficit to tie the game at 3-3 in the fifth inning. The score remained knotted at 3-3 until Hiram scored two runs in the top of the 10th inning off three hits and a Denison error.

With one out in the bottom of the 10th inning junior catcher Erin Porter saved the Big Red from the early upset defeat by slugging her fourth home run of the season and sending the game into the 11th inning.

Hiram took the lead again in the top of the 11th but when Ali Teopas advanced to second base on a bunt and a throwing error by the Hiram first baseman, the score was tied for the third time. Two batters later Emily Sack stroked a two-out single that scored Teopas with the game-winning run.

Porter was 3-for-5 with two RBI and one run scored to lead Denison at the plate. Rachel Thomas picked up her 12th win of the season after pitching six innings of relief. Senior Jen Anthony was the starter, working five innings and allowing three runs off four hits.