Westfield, Indiana - With inclement weather moving games all across the Midwest, the No. 3 Denison baseball team was able to move its doubleheader against the Fighting Engineers of Rose Hulman Institute of Technology for a doubleheader at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana. In game one, the Big Red grabbed the lead early and didn't look back, winning 12-1 in seven innings. Later in game two, the Denison defense would stand tall, shutting out Rose Hulman in a 5-0 decision. With the pair of wins, the Big Red move to 6-1 on the season.

Game 1: No. 3 Denison 12, Rose Hulman 1 (7 innings)

Jack Lutte kicked things off at Grand Park with a towering triple off the left-center wall. Erik Sundgren would score Lutte in the next at bat with a rollover groundout to the second baseman. The Big Red would be retired in the next two batters.

Will Rettig got his third start of the season. In his first at-bat, he recorded his first strikeout of the day. To close the bottom of the first, a perfect 7-5-2 relay saved a run from scoring and closed the inning with zero runs allowed.

In the top of the second, the Big Red bats got right back to work. Cade Nowik and Max Fishbein reached before Cooper Marrs would score them both with a base hit to left field(1 RBI) and reach third on an error. Andrew Fazio would score Marrs with a sacrifice fly into right. Bobby Haarde would reach on a bunt down the third base line as Lutte would double into left field for his first RBI of the day. In the bottom of the frame, Rettig would get another strikeout before the field would turn a double play to head into the third up 5-0. 

The offense continued to fire on all cylinders, posting three runs in the top of the third courtesy of an RBI triple from Fazio and a sacrifice fly from Lutte. Defensively, Rettig would toss another scoreless inning to keep the Big Red up 8-0 while collecting his fourth and fifth strikeouts of the day.  

After a scoreless fourth inning, Denison would find three more runs courtesy of a two-run RBI from Fazio and a pinch-hit RBI from Tristan Kerr to move the Big Red up to 11 runs. In the final inning of Rettig's outing, the Fighting Engineers would grab one run to make it an 11-1 ballgame heading into the sixth inning. 

After a scoreless sixth, the Big Red would score an unearned run in the top of the seventh to push the lead to 12-1. Andrew Montero would take over on the bump for Denison. The first-year lefty would throw two scoreless innings, striking out six straight,  to close out the game and secure the 12-1 victory in game one. The duo of Rettig and Montero would surrender just one run on seven hits and record 12 strikeouts.

The offense was able to force five errors in the win. Fazio led the team going 2-2 at the plate with four RBIs. Lutte was close behind, going 2-3 with a double and triple. The Big Red drew three walks and four hit by pitches.

Game 2: No. 3 Denison 5, Rose Hulman 0

After a dominant game one victory, Robbie Lee got the start for Denison, his second of the season. The Big Red and Fighting Engineers would trade scoreless frames through the fourth inning. 

Through the first few frames, both teams would record hits, but never enough to plate the first run. Rose Hulman was building momentum in the bottom of the fourth, but Kuyper Lashutka would stand tall against the heavy wind to handle a flyball in left to escape without damage. 

In the top of the fifth, the Denison offense would break the seal. The Big Red would score the elusive first runs in big fashion, courtesy of a two-run no-doubter from Bobby Haarde. Sundgren and Eron Vega would reach before a triple from Jack Rollo cleared the bags and plated two runs to take a 4-0 lead.

Robbie Lee would retire after 5.0 innings on the mound. Devin Parker would take the reins in the sixth. Parker would go on to toss scoreless frames in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings. 

The Big Red would find home after a sacrifice fly from Fazio scored Sundgren in the top of the eighth to bump the lead to 5-0.

Rose Hulman would hold Denison scoreless in the top of the ninth. With the Big Red needing just three outs to complete the weekend sweep, Parker would roll a ground ball and record two strikeouts to win game two and take home a Sunday sweep.

In game two, the offense was led by Sundgren with two hits. Rollo and Haarde led the team with two RBIs each while Fazio chipped in the other run. Kelly Crittenberger drew the lone walk of the game.

On the bump, the duo of Lee and Parker would combine for 13 strikeouts in the combined shutout. The pair would allow six hits and the defense would be perfect behind them, recording zero errors.

Up Next: The Big Red will be back in action for Spring Break baseball in Naperville, Illinois at the Midwest Classic hosted by North Central College. Denison will face Adrian first on Friday, March 13.