The Denison baseball team opened the 2016 campaign by capping off a three-game series sweep of Calvin on Saturday at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind. The Big Red took both games of Saturday's doubleheader, winning game one 10-3 before taking the finale 18-11. The season-opening sweep marks DU's first 3-0 start since the 2004 squad opened the year with four-consecutive wins.

In the opener, the Big Red rallied from an early 3-1 deficit by scoring nine unanswered runs over the final five innings. A two-run triple by junior Eric Zmuda tied the game at 3-3 in the fifth. Senior Jake Meegan and sophomore Sam Frazen both touched the dish on Zmuda's extra-base hit. The junior came around to score the game-winning run on a base hit to center by sophomore Jack Blanchard. Senior Joe LaPlaca knocked in Evan Flax and Noah Hahn with a base hit up the middle in the sixth. The senior also scored in the inning on a wild pitch. The DU offense added a single run in each of the final three frames. Blachard scored on an RBI ground out in the seventh, while Meegan crossed the plate on a wild pitch in the eighth. Meegan also drove in the final run of the game in the ninth on a sac fly to left that plated Ethan Carlyon.

Offensively, Denison pounded out 13 hits and had eight different player record a hit. Of those eight players, four registered multiple hits. Meegan went 3-for-4 at the place with an RBI and three runs scored, while Blanchard, Hahn and Flax all collected two hits and scored once. Blanchard also drove in a pair, while Flax knocked in another. LaPlaca also had two RBIs and a run.

Senior starter Ian Walsh picked up the win after surrendering three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts in five innings of work. Freshman reliever Mikey Rivera tossed four shutout inning, scattering two hits and striking out three en route to earning the four-inning save.

In the nightcap, the two teams tossed the lead back-and-forth over the first five innings. Trailing 9-7 heading into the eighth, the Big Red erupted for six runs on six hits to take a four-run lead. DU sent 10 men to the plate in the inning. Junior Phil Papaioannou cut the deficit to one with an RBI double down the left line that scored pinch runner LaPlaca from second. Blanchard tied the game once again with a base hit to center that scored Papaioannou. Hahn gave Denison its final lead with a ground ball to short that score Meegan. A two-run single by Joseph Maydwell and an RBI triple by Brandon Morgan capped off the eighth-inning scoring.

The Big Red put the game out of reach with a five-run ninth. Hahn provided an RBI single, while Flax legged out a two-run triple to center. Maydwell delivered the final blow with an RBI single that scored Flax. The sophomore was able to slide home safely on the play thanks to a three-base miscue in right.

Zmuda, Blanchard, Flax and Maydwell all posted three hits in the game. Zmuda tied the single-game school record for runs scored with five. Maydwell drove in five runs and scored two more, while Flax finished with four RBIs. Blanchard knocked in three and touched the plate three times. Hahn and Papaioannou each had two runs and two RBIs. Andrew Bruss picked up the win in relief after allowing two unearned runs on three hits with two strikeouts in three innings of work.

Denison improves to 3-0 after winning Friday's season opener (3-2) in 11 innings and sweeping Saturday's doubleheader, while Calvin falls to 0-3 on the year. The Big Red returns to action March 13 when they kick off their spring trip in Belton, Texas at Mary Hardin-Baylor.