DELAWARE, Ohio—Denison's program-best 17-game winning streak came to an end on Saturday after a doubleheader split with Ohio Wesleyan.  The eighth-ranked Big Red took game one, 3-2 before suffering a 15-5 loss in game two.

Denison (27-3, 11-1 NCAC) took the opener, 3-2, thanks to a two-run home run by Brian McAuliffe in the sixth and an RBI ground out by Ty Robinson with the bases loaded in the seventh.

The Battling Bishops took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on a base hit by Austin Harper but until the ninth, that's all the damage OWU could do.  Big Red starter Danny Brackman struck out 10 while scattering seven hits in 7.1 innings pitched. 

Mikey Rivera entered the game in the eighth got the final two outs of the innings.  In the ninth, the Battling Bishops scored one run on a sacrifice fly by Davis Graham.  With two outs and a runner at first and third, Rivera struck out Anthony Crow for his sixth save of the season.  With the save, Rivera moved past Aidan Lucas into second place on Denison's career save list with 16.  

McAuliffe was 2-for-3 with two walks, two RBIs and one run scored. He leads Denison in home runs with five.  Will Krushena's season-long 28-game hitting streak came to an end.  Brackman improved his record to 8-1 while OWU starter Seth Pritchett's record dropped to 3-3.

In game two, Ohio Wesleyan scored three runs in the first and six in the second, powered by a grand slam by Canyon McWilliams.  The 9-0 cushion was enough to force the split.

DU scored two in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh on a solo home run by Max Lahn.  The rally got the Big Red to within four runs of the lead, but the Bishops answered with three runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth to put things away.

Lahn was 3-for-4 with two RBIs.  Krushena started a new hitting streak, going 2-for-4.  Chris Punka got the win for OWU to improve to 1-2.

Denison has a big week coming up with five games against key conference and regional foes.  On Tuesday (April 23) they will play at John Carroll at 4 p.m.  On Wednesday (April 24) they will host Heidelberg at 4 p.m.  On Saturday (April 27) Denison travels to Wooster for a much-anticipated clash with the Fighting Scots, and on Sunday DU returns home to play Baldwin Wallace at 1 p.m.