GRANVILLE, Ohio (May 20, 2022) – For the first time in program history, the No. 13 nationally-ranked and top-seeded Denison University baseball team hosted a game in the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament, and the historic day for the Big Red featured a 14-6 victory over Penn State Harrisburg in the very first game of the Granville Regional in the 2022 NCAA Baseball Tournament.

Entering the game with two outs in the top of the sixth inning and the go-ahead run on third base in a tie ballgame, George Viebrock (3-1) got out of the inning with a groundout to shortstop, and then he struck out the side for a 1-2-3 top of the seventh inning.

From there, the Big Red offense took over as Dylan Hunter started off the bottom half of the seventh by sending a 1-0 pitch well over the wall in center field to put Denison back in front at 7-6.

The seventh inning continued with an RBI-single by Jake Welsch, an RBI-fielder's choice by Josh Bohn, a double steal by Bohn and Charlie Glennon stealing home, and a two-run single down the right field line by Eric Colaco to double up Penn State Harrisburg at 12-6. In all, the Big Red plated six runs on five hits in the seventh inning.

Kenny Lippman came in to pitch in the eighth inning and delivered a 1-2-3 frame with two strikeouts, and then Jacob Pendergraft finished off the ninth inning to send Denison to the semifinal of the winner's bracket.

Welsch finished 4-for-5 with three runs scored, three RBI's and a double while Colaco was 3-for-5 with two runs, five RBI's, a double and a home run.

Hunter, Glennon and Owen Wilson also each had two of Denison's 16 hits as a team.

It was a good start to the game for Denison against a good starting pitcher for Penn State Harrisburg, Zach Gettys, who entered the game 9-1 on the season with a 2.43 ERA and 94 strikeouts. In the bottom of the first inning, the Big Red got a leadoff double down the right field line by Colaco, followed by a sacrifice bunt by Hunter to move Colaco to third before a single up the middle by Ari Fierer to make it 1-0. Then with two outs and a runner on second, an RBI-single to the gap in right center by Welsch made it a 2-0 start for Denison.

Denison's starting pitcher, Taylor Perrett, racked up four strikeouts through the first two innings of the game, tossed a 1-2-3 top of the third inning, and then got a strikeout-him-out, throw-him-out double play to end the top of the fourth.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Welsch struck again with a leadoff single to center field before back-to-back two-out singles by Bohn and Wilson to score Welsch and make it 3-1. Then on the first pitch to Colaco on the next at bat, Colaco sent the ball over the wall in left center field for a three-run home run to make it 6-1.

After an unearned run for PSU Harrisburg in the top of the second inning, the Lions finally broke through against Perrett with back-to-back singles to lead off the fifth, followed by a sacrifice bunt to put two runners in scoring position and then a two-run double into the gap in right center to make it 6-3.

Then in the top of the sixth, PSU Harrisburg was happy to see Denison go to the bullpen as they scored three runs to tie the game and faced three new Big Red pitchers in the inning, the latter of which was Viebrock getting out of the inning and stranding the go-ahead run only 90 feet away.

Denison, which is appearing in the regional tournament for the fourth straight year, improved to 34-9 on the season while Penn State Harrisburg, which is making its third regional appearance in a row, fell to 30-16.

Next up, Denison will play second-seeded and No. 7 nationally-ranked Salisbury University at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 21, with the winner heading straight into the regional championship game.