Portland, Ore - Following a 3-0 weekend in the Windy City, the No. 1 Denison Big Red baseball team continued spring break action in Oregon with a matchup against the River Otters of Lewis and Clark. This marks the first-ever matchup between the two schools. The offense was immune to jet lag, smashing three home runs, 20 total hits, and carding 22 runs in a dominant showing. The defense was on par, limiting the River Otters to four runs to earn a 22-4 victory. Denison collects its ninth win in a row to move to 10-1 on the season.

No. 1 Denison 22, Lewis and Clark 4

The Big Red found an early spark offensively after Jack Rollo scored Jack Lutte with a double down the right side to take an early 1-0 lead. Sophomore Mahoney Daunic got his first career start. Daunic was able to retire the side to put the Big Red into the second inning with a 1-0 lead.

The River Otters found their footing at home behind the 6'8" lefty Sam Burchi. Burchi held Denison to a three-up-three-down inning before plating two unearned runs in the bottom of the frame to put the Big Red behind for the first time since their lone loss against Salisbury on February 21.

The two teams would enter a pitchers' duel, with Daunic standing strong for the Big Red and Lewis and Clark making full use of the bullpen, using four pitchers in four innings of play. It wouldn't be till the top of the fifth inning that the Big Red would tack on 12 runs on seven hits, marking the fourth game in a row with 10+ runs. 

The breakaway inning was sparked by a base hit from Bobby Haarde. Haarde was scored on a double from Lutte before Sundgren would groundout to score Eron Vega. Max Fishbein was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded before Cade Nowik would score two with a powerful single up the middle. Haarde, Vega, Lutte, and Sundgren would tally more runs before Jack Rollo would put the exclamation mark on the inning with a two-run homer to straightaway center field.

After another scoreless outing from Daunic, the foursome of Haarde, Vega, Lutte, and Sundgren would rattle off four more runs to give the Big Red a commanding 17-2 lead.

In the final at bat, Tyler Green, Carson Herman, and Nate Lloyd would load the bases with two outs. Cooper Marrs, with a 1-0 count, would clear the bags with a grand slam to mark the final runs of the day to take a 21-2 lead.

The River Otters would make a push in the bottom of the seventh, but the defense was able to hold strong, limiting the comeback inning to just one run.

Continuing play, the Big Red would plate another run in the form of a home run in the top of the eighth. Garrett Smith would record his first career homer with a solo shot over the right field wall to make it a 22-3 lead. In the bottom of the frame, Lewis and Clark would find another solo run to chip away at the Denison run. 

Offensively, Vega and Lutte paced the offense with 4-5 performances at the dish while Rollo and Marrs led the team with four RBIs apiece. Lutte clubbed three doubles in the win. 11 different players recorded hits, and the lineup only surrendered two strikeouts.

Defensively, Daunic was credited with his first career win after a 5.0 inning outing. He struck out four, walked one, and allowed zero earned runs. In relief, Shapo and Connor Remley would toss for 1.0 innings each, allowing one run on three hits and striking out two between the two arms. First-year Soren Cooper would make an appearance in the bottom of the eighth, fanning two, walking one, and allowing one run. In the final inning of the day, Max Mullen would make his second appearance of the season. The righty would close the game with two strikeouts to secure the dominant 22-4 victory.

Up Next: The Big Red will continue action in the Pacific Northwest against the Bruins of George Fox University tomorrow, March 18th, at 3 p.m PT(6 p.m ET).