The Tigers brought their top game to compete against Denison University's Big Reds after they beat the Tigers out of the NCAA championships last season.
The Tigers swept the Big Reds 6-2 and 2-0 Tuesday evening remaining undefeated in North Coast Athletic Conference play halfway through the season.
In the opener, DePauw was quick to get the run as Amy Hallet hit a pop up to left field getting on base. Denison then attempted a play at second but threw the ball wide, allowing Hallet to score.
The Tigers played superb defense on tight pitching from senior Emily Bichler. If the Big Red's got a hit the Tigers were ready for it.
"The pitchers were hitting their spots, so it was easy for me to find my spot and cheat a bit," infielder Jamie Story said. "I was seeing the ball off the bat today and reacting quick to it."
Freshman Catherine Conte had her third homer of the year in the bottom of the fourth making it 2-0 before the Tigers scored one more in the fifth. Jen Ridge, up first in the sixth, hit a bunt single and stole second and third to score on Haleigh Chasteen's single.
DePauw got the runs, but their aggression showed throughout the game as no player let a ball get past them. In the fifth, Chasteen chased the only pop fly out of bounds sliding on her stomach to get the final out of the inning leaving Denison with zero chances to score.
The Tigers got three more runs in the sixth making the score 6-0. Denison tried to come back in the seventh, but only scored two runs before DePauw ended their chance.
Pitcher Kayla Nolan stepped up to the mound in the nightcap, pitching a no-hitter all the way into the sixth before allowing a single by Denison's Emily Lipsitz. Samantha Szyska, pinch-runner, was put in on Lindsey Button's single to right. Szyska made it in on Lauren Krumwiede's single to left.
The second and last run of the game came in the fourth when Hallet scored on Szyska's infield single. Denison again tried to come back in the final inning only getting one hit, all to have Nolan strike out three hitters up for Denison.
The Tigers let nothing faze them throughout the doubleheader, working as a strong unit to triumph over Denison.
"We were able to pick each other up when something went wrong. We have the quote to bend and not break and this was the perfect example of that," Nolan said.
Nolan improved to 3-3 in her season and Bichler improved to 5-4. Overall, the Tigers are 12-12 in the season. They look to play next against Franklin College and Wooster College in doubleheaders Friday and Sunday.
