Granville, Ohio: The nation's No. 1 team returned to Big Red Field to host the Oberlin Yeomen for a weekend NCAC doubleheader. In game one, Denison rewrote the record books, notching its 21st consecutive win, breaking the record of 20 set last year, with a 8-2 win. In game two, the Big Red extended it to 22, with a dominant 11-1 showing. With the pair of wins, head coach Mike Deegan records his 400th career win with the Big Red.
Game 1: No. 1 Denison 8, Oberlin 2
An early, low scoring battle, started from the hands of senior righty Will Rettig who earned his eighth start of the season for the Big Red. The veteran held Oberlin to just three batters in the top of the first frame. The Yeomen stranded two batters in the bottom of the first to keep things scoreless.
The scoreboard wouldn't move until the bottom of the second frame, when senior Max Fishbein smashed a solo home run over the left field wall. In the top of the third, the Yeomen were quick to respond with a run of their own to knot it at one all. The Big Red lineup found its first multi-run inning of the day in the bottom half of the third, as Andrew Fazio and Kelly Crittenberger picked up RBIs to take a 3-1 lead.
Following a scoreless fourth inning and a 1-2-3 top of the fifth from Rettig, the Denison bats continued to tack on the lead when Crittenberger rolled a fielders choice grounder to score Erik Sundgren.
The conference foes traded scoreless sixth innings. In Rettig's final action, the Yeomen would grab an unearned run to cut the Denison lead to 4-2, but fellow senior Ryan Paganelis would slam the door shut on the momentum with a swinging strike three to limit the damage.
Fazio chipped in another run in the bottom of the seventh before first-year Devin Parker took the reins on the mound. The righty struck out two in his first inning of action to maintain the 5-2 lead. In the final Denison at bat of game one, the trio of Nate Lloyd, Eron Vega, and Bobby Haarde all tallied RBIs to grow the lead to 8-2. The Yeomen were able to get runners in scoring position in the top of the ninth, but it was not enough to overcome the difference.
The offense notched eight hits and was led by Sundgren with a 2-3 performance. The lineup drew seven walks with Lutte pacing the way with three walks.
Defensively, Rettig earned his eighth win to move to 8-0 on the season. The righty struck out six over 6.2 innings. Paganelis and Parker closed the game for the Big Red. Together, the staff sat down 11 batters and walked just one.
Game 2: No. 1 Denison 11, Oberlin 1 (7 Innings)
First-year Andrew Montero got his sixth start of the season in game two of the conference doubleheader. Over his first three scoreless frames, the southpaw sat down three batters to kep things even at 0-0. In the bottom of the third, the offensive lineup would explode for five runs, initially sparked by aggressive baserunning by Bobby Haarde to take a 1-0 lead. A base hit from Kelly Crittenberger and a bases-loaded walk from Cade Nowik extended the lead to 3-0, but it would be a towering double from Kuyper Lashutka that put an exclamation mark on the inning to take a 5-0 lead.
In the top of the fourth, the Yeomen took advantage of having the bases loaded with a walk to cut the lead down to 5-1. However, this would be Oberlin's only run of game two.
The Big Red wouldn't strike again until the bottom of the fifth inning, where the trio of Haarde, Vega, and Jack Lutte all picked up RBIs before Erik Sundgren punctuated the inning with a two-run double into left field to push the Denison lead to 10-1.
In what would be the Yeomen's final at-bat, the duo of Noah Shapo and Max Mullen relieved Paganelis on the mound. The staff would handle business and keep the Oberlin lineup at bay to maintain the 10-1 lead. In the bottom of the seventh, Haarde and Lutte put runners on the basepath before Sundgren would seal the deal with a base hit into left field to secure the elusive mercy rule run to win in walkoff fashion.
The game two lineup was highlighted by Sundgren, who posted a 3-4 performance with three RBIs. Lashutka tagged on two RBIs while Lutte paced the offense with three walks.
Defensively, the pitching staff sat down nine runners and walked two, allowing just one run. Montero picked up his third win of the season to move to 3-0.
Up Next: The Big Red will be back in action tomorrow, April 12, to take on Marietta for an out of conference matchup at home. First pitch is scheduled for noon.
