In their final tune-up before the North Coast Athletic Conference Crossover Series, the Denison baseball team suffered a pair of extra-inning setbacks to Ohio Northern on Thursday in Granville.  The Big Red dropped a 4-2 decision in nine innings in the opener, and suffered a 4-3 nine-inning loss in game two.

In game one, the Polar Bears touched Denison starter Connor Murphy up for two runs on three hits in the first inning.  Ben Heskett drove in Brady Foley and Jack LaMarca with a two-out double to right center. Denison tied the contest with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning.  Freshman Evan Flax led off the inning with a bunt single up the third-base line.  After swiping second with two outs, Flax came around to score on a base hit down the right line by senior Andrew Touhy. With runners at first and second, Lascelles Lagares tied the ball game at 2-2 with a single to the gap in right center that drove in Touhy.

The score remained tied at 2-2 through the seven scheduled innings and into the extras where Ohio Northern generated a pair in the top of the ninth. In the ninth, the Polar Bears took advantage of three Big Red miscues that resulted in two unearned runs. Nick Eltzroth reached on a fielding error and moved all the way to third on a double down the left line by Daniel Rodriguez. The second defensive miscue allowed Eltzroth break the tie, giving ONU a 3-2 lead. After a successful sacrifice bunt and a fielder's choice out at the plate, Foley ripped a liner off pitcher Charlie Binford's glove that allowed Reed Allen to score. Magni retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to complete his nine-inning performance.

Georgie Montes, Touhy and Lagares all recorded two hits for the Denison offense. Touhy drove in a run and scored another, while Lagares also had an RBI. Flax finished with a hit, a run scored and a stolen base. Binford suffered the hard-luck loss after allowing two unearned runs on four hits with two strikeouts in four innings of work. After Murphy allowed two runs on three hits in the first inning, Johnny Funkhouser and Connor Hanrahan combined to scatter three hits and strikeout three in four innings of work.

Foley and LaMarca both had two hits and a run, while Heskett drove in a pair. LaMarca also swiped two bases. Magni surrendered two runs on nine hits with 5 Ks over the course of nine innings.

Game two replicated the opener in many ways.  After both teams scored a pair of runs to open the first inning, each would plate a run in the third inning to make it a 3-3 game into extra-innings.

Freshman Matthew Zmuda got the start on the mound and worked the first four innings, allowing three earned runs off four hits and two walks while striking out three.  He was followed by another all hands on deck performance by the Denison bullpen.  JT Trimble pitched a scoreless fifth inning and Ian Walsh worked two innings, dancing out of jams in both frames maintaining the 3-3 tie game.

In the eighth inning, Ryan Mulligan left his shortstop position and despite walking two batters, he got out of the eighth unscathed.  To open the ninth inning, DU sent its last regular reliever, Royce Park, into the game.  He would walk the leadoff hitter, Allen.  Cody Meyer would lay down a sacrifice bunt to Duncan Moran at third that would move Allen into scoring position.  Mike Deegan would make the call to the pen one last time, bringing Montes out of centerfield to pitch to Andy Lubonovic who would drop a bunt base hit, moving Allen to third base with one out.

With runners on the corners, Foley would lift a fly ball to Lagares in left field.  Lagares' throw to home plate was up the line, allowing Allen to score the go-ahead run.  LaMarca would draw a walk, before Dan Belliveau would fly out to Alex Enrique in right field to end the inning.

In the Denison half of the ninth, Flax flied out to left on his first pitch from Nick Anloague.  Montes would draw a walk and Mulligan followed with a line drive single off the left of Anloague, moving Montes to third base.  Anolague was injured on the hit by Mulligan and would be replaced on the mound by third baseman Foley.

With one out Jake Meegan was called on to pinch hit.  The squeeze play was on and Meegan's bunt attempt resulted in a two-hopper back to the mound.  Foley came home with the throw and Rodriguez applied the tag, getting Montes at the plate for the second out.

Down to their last out, Moran singled to the shortstop, loading the bases for Lagares.  On Foley's first offering to Lagares, the junior hit a chopper to third that was fielded by defensive replacement Eltzroth who fired to second base, getting Moran on the force out to end the game.

Anloague got the win for Ohio Northern and Foley picked up his third save of the season.  Park was saddled with the loss in one third of an inning pitched. 

Montes led Denison at the plate in game two, going 3-for-4 with one run scored.  Marsit was also 3-for-4 and Moran finished 3-for-5.

Denison will return to action on Saturday with a 9-inning doubleheader against Hiram College in the NCAC Crossover series.  Game three will take place on Sunday at 12 p.m. in Granville.  The winner of the best of three series will advance to the NCAC Tournament on May 8-10 in Chillicothe, Ohio.