The Denison Big Red opened the 2011 North Coast Athletic Conference season with a doubleheader sweep of Hiram College on Saturday afternoon in Granville, Ohio.  DU took the opener 9-1, and won the nightcap 7-4.

In game one, the Big Red added to their 4-0 lead with a five-run sixth inning.  Senior Matt Forgatch drove in junior Tyler Nicholson on a base hit up the middle.  Following a Terrier pitching change, second baseman Evan Nicholson belted a two-run double to left center that plated Forgatch and Andrew Mahle.  With two down and runners at second and third, senior Peter Krieger laced a two-RBI single up the middle.  Krieger's base knock scored Nicholson and Andrew Touhy.

Junior pitcher Tyler Vaske went the distance en route to his second win of the campaign.  Vaske scattered three hits, allowed one unearned run and struck out six.

Krieger went 3-for-3 with three RBIs to pace the DU attack, while Evan Nicholson had two hits, a double, drove in three, scored a pair and swiped a bag.  Danny Kraus logged two hits, Forgatch drove in a pair, Mahle scored twice and Tyler Nicholson stole two bases to round out the the Big Red offense.

Just like the opener, Denison jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opening frame of game two.  After a fielding error with two outs kept the inning alive, sophomore catcher Lowell Hall made Hiram pay for the miscue.  Hall rocketed a base hit up the middle that scored Justin Vaske and Mahle.  Senior Kevin Teague followed Hall's two-run hit with an RBI single to right that scored Evan Nicholson.

Denison starter David Holmes found himself in a bit of a jam in the second when Ian Sewolich reached third on a three-base error.  The junior worked his way out of the predicament by getting the next three batters to fly out to right, strike out swinging and line out the first, respectively.

In the fourth, an RBI single by Tim Calhoun and a pair of RBI walks issued to Andy Richey and Doug Adkins tied the game at 3-3.  In the bottom of the frame sophomore Josh Butler led off with a single down the left line.  After Drew Rice dropped a sacrifice bunt to move Butler into scoring position, Forgatch drove in the sophomore short stop with a single through the left side to give DU a 4-3 edge.

Hiram opened the sixth with back-to-back singles.  Holmes struck out the next batter looking before exiting the game.  With runners at second and third, Calhoun scored on a wild pitch by reliever Sam Belisle to tie the game.  Mahle helped his pitcher out with a sliding grab in right field for the second out, while the second-year hurler struck out the Adkins to end the inning.

In Denison's half of the sixth, Butler got things going with a one-out double to the gap in right center.  With two down and runners at the corners, Forgatch singled down the left line to plate Butler from third.  After pinch hitter David Baskin was issued a free pass to load the bags, Evan Nicholson drew another base-on-balls that scored Mahle.  Hall kept things going with an RBI single to third base that brought Forgatch home.  The three-run sixth extended the Big Red lead to 7-4 heading into the final frame.

Belisle returned to retired the side in order in the seventh en route to his first-collegiate win.  The Northland grad struck out one in 1.2 innings.  Holmes went 5.1 innings, allowed four runs on five hits, walked five and struck out five in the no decision.

Butler was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double and two runs scored, while Hall had two singles and three RBIs.  Forgatch also recorded two hits, drove in two and scored once.

Denison improves to 10-8 on the season and 2-0 in the NCAC, while Hiram falls to 6-6 overall and 0-2 in the league.  The Big Red return to action on Sunday (March 27) when they host a doubleheader with NCAC foe Allegheny College.  Game one is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.