Denison secured the North Coast Athletic Conference West Division series win with Wittenberg on Sunday following a doubleheader split with the Tigers. The Big Red won the opener 12-2, but fell in game two, 6-3.

In game one, Denison erased an early 2-1 deficit with a six-run second inning that featured five Big Red hits and two costly errors by the Tiger defense. Two of DU's three earned runs came early in the inning on a Georgie Montes double down the right line and a base hit through the right side by Evan Flax. Those hits scored Sam Frazen and Jack Blanchard, respectively. Montes came around to score the third earned run of the frame on a ground ball that was misplayed at first. Second baseman Eli Goolsby-Broschart tried to make a play to retire Mulligan, but threw the ball away allowing both Mulligan and Flax to advance 90 feet.  Charlie Apfelbach followed with a ground ball to third that scored Flax, while freshman Tanner Johnson delivered a two-out, two-run single to left center that scored Mulligan and Apfelbach.

The Big Red added to their lead in the fourth frame. After Wittenberg opened the inning with a pair of errors, Johnson dropped a two-run single into right with one out. His base knock scored Apfelbach and Mulligan. Montes also provided a base hit that drove in a pair in the form of Nick Marsit and Frazen. Marsit knocked in Denison's final run in the fifth with a single to center.

Montes and Johnson paced the offense in game one. Montes finished with three hits, including a double, three RBIs, one run and a stolen base. Johnson drove in a game-high four runs with two hits. Mulligan and Apfelbach each scored three times, while Frazen touched the dish twice. Marsit also finished with two hits. Sophomore Johnny Funkhouser went the distance en route to earning his fourth win of the year. Funkhouser (4-0) scattered five hits, allowed two runs and struck out three in seven innings of work.

After committing 17 errors in their previous two games, the Wittenberg defense finally figured things out in the nightcap as they had just one miscue on a failed pickoff attempt to first in the sixth. Prior to that error, the Tiger bats came to life in the third inning as they pushed across five runs on four hits and one DU error. The Big Red chipped away at the deficit in the bottom of the inning with an RBI ground out and a sacrifice fly to left. However, that's as close as the home team would get as Wittenberg added an insurance run in the seventh.

Mulligan and Johnson each went 2-for-4 with a run scored in game two, while Flax also had a hit and touched the dish. Apfelbach, Alex Enrique and Zac Lewinski had Denison's three RBIs. Starter Kyle Colgain took the loss after giving up five runs (two earned) on 10 hits with a strikeouts and two walks in five innings. Connor Hanrahan gave up a run on two hits with a strikeout in the sixth and seventh, while freshman Perley Provost scattered three hits and fanned three in the final two innings.

Erik Olson and Will Cousins each had three hits to pace the Wittenberg (5-14, 2-8 NCAC West) offense, while Dalton Boucher, Timmy Bates, Aaron Patrick and Corey Farnbauch recorded two hits apiece. Patrick also drove in a game-high two runs. Stu Haley (2-1) earned the win, surrendering three runs on seven hits with five walks and three Ks in 6.2 innings. Tanner Combs earned his first save of the season after giving up just one hit in 2.1 innings out of the pen. Combs issued three walks and struck out five.

Denison (12-10, 5-3 NCAC West) returns to action on Thursday when they host Otterbein for a 9-inning game. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.