Central College engineered a rally in the ninth inning, but it was the Denison baseball team that came away with a 4-2 victory on Thursday in Port Charlotte, Fla.

Central had a runner reach third base in the first, third and fourth innings.  However, DU starter McCavitt Carter induced two inning-ending outs to short stop Jeremy Tirado, and another to Andrew Mahle to escape all three jams.

Despite the early offense by the Dutch, the Big Red struck first with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.  Junior Kyle Clemmenson opened the Denison half of the frame with a lead-off walk.  The junior scored from first when a double by Mahle sailed over the head of left fielder Michael Jontz.  Danny Kraus followed up the two bagger with a sacrifice bunt down the third base line.  Kraus reached safely and moved to second on a throwing error, while Mahle came around to score on the play.  With no outs, Tirado sent a base hit through the left side that scored Kraus from second.

In the sixth, Clemmeson added an insurance tally on a solo home run down the left field line.  The junior's second homer of the year came with one out.

The Dutch made it interesting in the top of the ninth.  Allen Mann got things going with an infield single.  After advancing to second on a wild pitch, a base hit up the middle by Jordan Judkins put runners at the corners with no outs.  Carter struck out Seth Carson for the first out, but a single to right by Max Seeman plated Central's first run of the day.

After losing the shutout bid, Head Coach Mike Clark handed the ball to senior reliever Chris Fries.  Fries began his outing by striking out Jake Effron looking.  After a single up the middle by Jontz loaded the bases, a wild pitch allowed Judkins to score from third.  With the bases loaded and two outs, Fries got Mike Furlong to fly out to Tyler Nicholson as the Dutch stranded the game-tying run at second base.

Clemmenson logged two hits, two runs and an RBI, while Tirado had two singles and drove in a run.  Mahle and Justin Vaske logged the other two Denison hits.  Mahle recorded an RBI and a run, while Kraus also scored.

Stetzel and Judkins both went 3-for-4 on the day.  Jontz, Mann and Seeman also collected base hits for the Dutch.

Carter went 8.1 innings and gave up two runs on eight hits with struck out six en route to his second collegiate victory.  Fries picked up his second save of the season after giving up one hit and striking out one batter in two-thirds of an inning.  Central starter Ryan Goetzinger surrendered four runs (three arned) on four hits with three Ks in the losing effort.

Denison improves to 4-6 on the season, while Central falls to 7-3.  The Big Red returns to action on Friday when they take on Montclair State University in Port Charlotte, Fla. at 11 a.m.