GAMBIER, Ohio – Battling rival Denison University in Wednesday's home-opening doubleheader, the Kenyon College softball team was looking to keep its conference record clean. Things, however, did not go according to plan, as walks, errors and a solo home run led to a sweep for the visiting Big Red.

The losses dropped the Ladies' overall record to 10-18 and evened out their North Coast Athletic Conference record at 2-2. Denison, which rolled to 9-1 game-one win and then squeaked by with a 3-2 game-two victory, improved to 15-7 overall and 3-1 in the NCAC.

Game one got out of control early for the Ladies. A one-out throwing error, followed by two walks from starting pitcher Austen Whibley, loaded the bases for the Big Red in the top of the first inning. Laura Bagan then stroked a sacrifice fly to centerfield to plate Denison's first run. Lindsey Clemson followed up with a triple down the right field line, giving Denison a 3-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Big Red starting pitcher Sarah Herold was mowing down Kenyon hitters. Through her first four innings in the circle, she allowed just one hit and one walk. From the end of the second inning through the start of the fifth, she retired nine straight.

In the top of the third, the Big Red offense hit three straight singles to score their only earned run of the game. Kenyon answered that in the bottom of the fifth inning with its lone run, which was produced after Nicole Horita singled up the middle and then scored on a double to left field from Amanda Coyle.           

The Ladies' momentum started and ended there. The defense committed errors in the sixth and seventh innings, leading to five more unearned runs for Denison, which was gifted six walks and four Kenyon errors throughout the game.

Herold pitched all seven innings and earned the win to improve her personal record to 7-2. She gave up just three hits and one walk, while striking out six.

Game two was much more competitive. The Ladies struck first in the bottom of the first inning after leadoff hitter Madi Maldonado was hit by a pitch. She advanced to second on a ground out and then scored on a Grace Pilz single to right field.

Kenyon game-two starter Keely Sweet held the Big Red scoreless for four innings, but in the fifth another error plagued the Ladies. A dropped ball at home plate allowed one Denison runner to score and opened the door for another when Ryan Lee smashed a two-out run-scoring double that put the Big Red ahead, 2-1.

The Ladies fought back in the bottom of the inning, scoring an unearned run of their own. Coyle reach on a Denison error, moved to second on a Maldonado infield singled and then went to third on a single to right from Amanda Ogata. Britny Patterson then reached on a fielder's choice, which scored Coyle and knotted things at 2-2.

The game was decided in the top of the sixth. With one out and the bases clear, Bagan took Sweet deep, placing a solo shot over the left field wall.

Sweet was strapped with the tough-luck loss and fell to 7-5 on the season. She gave up just one earned run on five hits and a two walks. She pitched all seven innings and fanned four Denison batters. Her counterpart, Erin Laswell, allowed seven hits, but struck out nine to improve to 4-2.

Kenyon had a total of ten hits in the two-game set. Maldonado, Pilz and Lauren Graf each had two.