Winter Haven, Fla.- The No. 7 Denison Big Red baseball team kicked off their spring break trip with an electrifying top-ten victory against the No. 2 Blue Jays from Johns Hopkins University. The defensive masterclass from both sides resulted in the Big Red pulling away in a 2-0 victory to kickstart the week's trip in the Sunshine State. Denison moves to 10-3 overall while handing the Blue Jays their second loss of the season, dropping them to 13-2

Up Next: Denison will continue their trip tomorrow, facing off against the No. 4 Endicott College Gulls.

(Denison 2, Johns Hopkins 0)
In the southern sunshine, two Division III powerhouses squared off at the Chain O' Lakes baseball complex in Winter Haven, Florida. The Big Red, coming off a split ticket this past weekend at the Granville Tournament, faced off with the No. 2 team in the nation. Johns Hopkins received a first-place vote in the most recent D3baseball.com poll and brought in a 13-1 record.

The offense had a tall task, facing fifth-year senior pitcher Kieren Collins. Collins presented with a 0.41 ERA and was a perfect 4-0 on the season. Junior centerfielder Erik Sundgren struck first for the Big Red, driving in Alex Vasquez in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead.

The following innings proved the day to be a pitcher's battle. Between the two teams, just five runners were left on base off of only five hits. 

The Big Red extended their lead to two in the bottom of the seventh inning with a no-doubt homer over the right field wall from senior outfielder Jake Blozy. This solo shot marks Blozy's first home run of the year and second of his career. 

The highlight of the day comes from sophomore righty Peter Lemke. Lemke went the distance, throwing a 9.0-inning shutout. The last time this feat was achieved for the Big Red was by Charlie Fleming on May 6, 2023, vs Waynesburg. Additionally, Lemke's performance breaks the Johns Hopkins scoring streak, shutting the Blue Jays out for the first time since April 26, 2022 (1,057 days). Lemke sat down five by strikeout, walking two and allowing just five hits on the day. Behind him, the defense was perfect in the field, recording zero errors. Junior first baseman Max Fishbein led the charge with 15 putouts.

This victory is Denison's highest-ranked win since they took down No. 2 Salisbury last spring at the D3 Showcase in Greensboro, North Carolina.