MARIETTA, Ohio (March 18, 2023) – Playing in its only game at the Marietta/BSN Sports Invitational, the No. 13 nationally-ranked Denison University baseball team played to a high-scoring 21-11 win over New Jersey City University.

Denison scored three runs right from the start in the top of the first inning as Erik Sundgren led off the game with a home run to right field and was followed by a double to left field by Eric Colaco. Colaco stole third on a walk to Charlie Glennon and scored on a fielder's choice by Noah Leib, who then stole second and scored on a double to right field by Jake Welsch.

A leadoff home run to left field got New Jersey City on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning before a 6-4-3 double play and a caught stealing ended the inning.

Up 4-3 after two unearned runs for the Gothic Knights in the bottom of the third, Denison put up another three-spot in the top of the fourth inning as Owen Wilson led off with a walk, stole second base and was followed by a walk to Sundgren before Colaco brought them both home with his second double of the game to left center field. Two batters later, Colaco scored again on a groundout by Leib to make it 7-3 Big Red.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, a two-out double down the right field line was followed by a two-run homer to left field for NJCU to cut the lead in half.

The two teams then traded four-run innings in the bottom of the sixth and the top of the seventh before Denison put the game out of reach with an eight-run frame in a top of the eighth inning that featured only five hits but had four hit by pitches.

The big eighth inning for Denison was highlighted by a two-run single by Wilson, another two-run double by Colaco, a two-run single by Glennon and an RBI-double by Jack Steel.

Colaco then added two more RBI's with a two-run homer to left field in the top of the ninth inning as he finished 4-for-7 with six RBI's, four runs scored, three doubles and a home run.

Wilson was 3-for-5 with four runs scored, two RBI's, a double and a triple; and Glennon was 3-for-5 with two runs, two RBI's and a double.

Lastly, Leib was 2-for-4 with four RBI's, two runs and a double; Welsch was 2-for-4 with two walks and a double; and Kuyper Lashutka was 2-for-5.

It was the second game this week with at least 20 runs and 20 hits for Denison, which entered the game 0-2 all-time against New Jersey City (4-6) and is now 9-3 overall on the season.

Denison will return to Marietta College next Wednesday, March 22, to battle against the No. 20-ranked Pioneers starting at 5 p.m. Then the next day on Thursday, March 23, the Big Red will head to Ada, Ohio, to take on Ohio Northern University starting at 4 p.m.