Denison Softball Drops Game 1 of NCAA Regional

MARSHALL, TX - Denison (20-20) suffered an 8-0 five-inning loss to East Texas Baptist (38-4) in the opening round of the 2026 NCAA Division III Softball Tournament. The Big Red will play in the elimination game at 2:30 p.m. on Friday against the loser of the Rowan (36-8) and St. Thomas (TX) (30-10) matchup, while the Tigers will face the winner between the Profs and the Celts in Game 3 of the winners bracket at 12:00 p.m. Friday.

NCAA Regional Game 1: East Texas Baptist 8, Denison 0 (5 innings)
  • East Texas Baptist scored five runs in the first inning on the way to an 8-0 win over Denison in five innings on Thursday morning in Marshall, Texas.
  • ETB set the tone in the bottom of the first, opening the inning with a single and two stolen bases before a double to take a 1-0 lead. The hosts kept the rally going with a bases-loaded hit by pitch, a bases-loaded walk, an RBI single, and a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0.
  • Denison turned to Madilyn Moffitt (New Castle, IN/New Castle) in the circle to start the second inning. East Texas Baptist added a run in the frame on another sacrifice fly, but Moffitt steadied the Big Red from there, working around three baserunners to post a scoreless third inning.
  • The Tigers closed the scoring with two runs in the fourth extending the lead to 8-0.
  • Moffitt's single up the middle in the second inning accounted for Denison's lone hit. Carley Melton (Cypress, TX/Bridgeland) reached base both times she came to the plate, drawing walks in the first and fourth innings, and the Big Red defense played an error-free game. Moffitt worked three innings of relief, allowing three runs with one strikeout, while Brooke Surbaugh (San Bruno, CA/St. Ignatius) made the start.

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