Angie Barone allowed only one earned run in nine innings in the first game against Denison.

In its North Coast Athletic Conference opener on Sunday afternoon (April 7), The College of Wooster softball team was swept 2-0 and 8-0 at the hands of the defending league champions, Denison University.

The opener was a classic pitching battle with Denison's ace Courtney Zollars barely outdueling Wooster's top hurler Angie Barone over nine innings. Zollars nearly threw a perfect game, as she got the first 19 in a row before Maggie Combs reached via an infield single in the bottom of the seventh. Zollars recovered, though, and struck out the next two, which sent the game into extras.

The Big Red finally crossed home plate in the top of the ninth, when with one out and runners on second and third, Barone bobbled a sacrifice bunt by Shannon Ryan, which plated Tamara Henderson. Denison added an insurance run and Zollars completed her one-hit gem, in which she struck out 20 and a Scot-hit ball did not get out of the infield until Kerri Horst flew out to center in the ninth.

The Big Red carried their momentum into game two, putting together four-straight hits in the top of the first en route to three runs that frame. They added three more in the second and two in the fifth, all of which were unearned tallies off of Nicole Fedell, to run-rule Wooster.

Laura Andrews had a double and a walk to lead the Scots offensively in the nightcap, while Fedell fell to 2-5 after allowing three earned runs on eight hits and three walks.

Denison's Erin McClincy was credited with the win, scattering four hits over the five innings, while Henderson went 3-for-4 from her spot atop the order and scored twice.

The Scots (7-10, 0-2 NCAC), who came in second to the Big Red last year, return to action on Tuesday (April 9), when they host Allegheny College (9-8, 2-0 NCAC) at 3:30 p.m.