Greencastle, Ind. - DePauw put together a six-run first inning in game one and clinched the North Coast Athletic Conference championship with a 9-1 win over Denison before sweeping the doubleheader with a 6-3 victory in the second game. DePauw improved to 18-19 overall and finished NCAC play at 12-2. Denison dropped to 17-15 overall and wrapped up conference play at 9-5.
The conference title was the Tigers' third straight and seventh since beginning NCAC play in 2012. DePauw will host the NCAC Tournament which opens on Friday, May 12, and concludes on Sunday, May 14.Â
In the opening game,
Hanna Coffel led off the bottom of the first with a single and
Abby Pyburn followed with a single to left that got past the left fielder allowing Coffel to score and Pyburn to move to second.
Kelsey Bernhard then singled, driving in Pyburn, and advanced to second on an error.
Katie Mathies moved Bernhard to third with a sacrifice bunt and
Emily Timberman drove her in with a double.
Yasmin McClellan entered as a pinch-runner for Timberman and advanced to third on
Drew Bratcher's base hit. Bratcher moved to second on an errant throw to the plate.
Ella Ohrvall's infield single plated McClellan before Ohrvall stole second, setting up
Alyssa Anderson's two-run single which made it 6-0.
Denison got on the board in the third as Maggie Ballentine walked with one out and Jordyn Maurer reached on an error. Annabelle Calderon drove in Ballentine with a two-out single.
The Tigers wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the fourth as Coffel led off with a walk and Pyburn reached on a bunt single. Mathies made it 9-1 after hitting a three-run homer.
Pyburn, Bernhard and Bratcher each had two of DePauw's 11 hits, while six different Denison players collected one hit each.
Riley Magoon improved to 2-3 with Sydney Silverstein dropping to 9-6.
The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the second inning of the nightcap as
Lily Jennings led off with an infield single and moved to second on an error.
Macey Cox's sacrifice bunt advanced Jennings to third before Anderson's single plated Jennings. After
Ella Kuenster singled and pinch-runner Ohrvall moved to second, Bernhard followed with a single that scored Ohrvall.
Denison evened the score in the third as Clara Wolff led off with a double and moved to third on Ballentine's sacrifice bunt. Jacqui Abogado homered to make it 2-2.
The Big Red took the lead in the fourth after Alessandra Groome hit a solo homer.
DePauw took the lead for good in the fifth as Timberman led off with a single and pinch-runner Pyburn moved to third after Bratcher singled and moved to second on the throw.
Madi Lockridge entered as a pinch-runner for Bratcher before Jennings drove in Pyburn with a bunt single. Cox followed with a two-run double to put the Tigers back in front, 5-3.
The Tigers wrapped up the scoring in the sixth as Bernhard led off with a walk and stole second. Pyburn singled her to third and Bernhard scored on a failed pickoff at third.Â
Bernhard, Timberman, Jennings and Kuenster each had two of DePauw's 12 hits. Groome had two of Denison's four hits.
Megan Asher improved to 10-9 after retiring all nine batters she faced in relief of
Alex Romero-Salas. Brooke Surbaugh dropped to 6-8 with the loss.
DePauw hosts Illinois College tomorrow in a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
