Chillicothe, Ohio- The No. 3 Denison Big Red baseball team took to VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio, for the North Coast Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament. The Big Red earned the one seed in the tournament with a season conference record of 14-1. Denison took on the Fighting Scots from the College of Wooster, who earned the fourth seed in the tournament. In an action-packed masterclass of Division III baseball, the Big Red pulled away 6-5 in the 12th inning.

Up Next: Denison will play the winner of Wabash and Wittenberg tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. The Fighting Scots will move to the losers' bracket and will take on the loser of Wabash and Wittenberg.

Game 1 (Denison 6, Wooster 5) 12 Innings

On a beautiful Ohio day, two NCAC foes collided in what could be considered one of the greatest showdowns in NCAC tournament history. The Denison Big Red, a consensus top-5 team in the nation, squared off against the bottom seed in the bracket, the Wooster Fighting Scots.

After a scoreless two frames, Jack Lutte broke the seal for the Big Red, launching a two-run homer in the bottom of the third to take a 2-0 lead. Later in the third inning, Jack Rollo scored Cade Nowik with a sacrifice fly to left field. 

The momentum shifted to the Scots in the following innings. The visitors capitalized on their 13 hits and 8 walks, crossing the plate to take a 4-3 lead in the seventh. The Fighting Scots recorded zero extra-base hits in the loss.

Jake Blozy took home on a passed ball and Alex Vasquez scored Cade Nowik in the eighth inning. In the top of the ninth inning, the Big Red had a chance at a double play to end the game right there, but the throw was wide left, allowing the Scots to tie it up at 5-all in the final frame. 

In what started as an offensive showdown, extra innings proved to be a pitchers' duel. The Big Red caught glimpses of fire, but were unable to capitalize on the opportunity.

It wasn't until the bottom of the 12th that the Big Red walked it off. After a chaotic string of plays, Max Fishbein launched a ball off the left field wall. As he took first base and Jake Blozy crossed home plate, the Big Red stormed the field at VA Memorial, celebrating a hard-fought win.

For Denison, the game was highlighted by junior righty Will Rettig. After Pete Lemke, Michael Gray, and Ryan Starr made appearances on the bump, Rettig took the mound in relief. Rettig lasted 6.0 innings and sat down nine batters, keeping the Big Red both in swinging distance and in the lead when it mattered most.