Granville, Ohio: Four teams presented to Granville and only two remained on Championship Sunday as the No. 1 Denison Big Red took on the RV Kalamazoo Hornets for a spot in the NCAA Super Regional Round. After back-to-back walkoff victories to advance to the Regional Championship game, the Big Red did it again, this time courtesy of senior Tristan Kerr. The nation's number one team overcame an 11-4 deficit to advance with a 13-12 victory. Kerr pinch hit in the bottom of the ninth and delivered a base-clearing double off the center field wall to seal Denison's third straight trip to the Super Regional and 42nd straight victory. Denison moves to 43-1 on the season with the win.
Regional Championship: No. 1 Denison 13, RV Kalamazoo 12
Championship Sunday filled the shoes of the already stellar Granville Regional. Sophomore Cooper Marrs got the start for Denison. The Hornets, red hot after a pair of wins on Saturday, were able to sting first, plating one run in the top of the first frame before shutting down the Big Red bats to hold on to the 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second, the Big Red battled back, plating two runs courtesy of a base-clearing double from Eron Vega to score Cade Nowik and Nate Lloyd to take a 2-1 lead.
The two squads traded zeroes in the third inning before Kalamazoo knotted things up with a solo shot homer by Ryar Rinehart cleared the left field wall. Following the home run, Max Mullen relieved Marrs on the mound.
The Hornet pitching staff was able to keep the Big Red lineup silent before tacking on a three-run top of the fifth inning courtesy of an RBI single, a bunt, and a bases-loaded walk. However, Denison responded with a two-run home half of the frame from a sacrifice fly by Erik Sundgren and a single from Andrew Fazio to make it a 5-4 game.
The game broke open in the top of the sixth inning. The Kalamazoo squad caught fire, firing a six-run inning and forcing the Big Red bullpen through Noah Shapo, Evan Cerretani, and Soren Cooper. The Hornets plated their runs thanks to four hits and one error and took a commanding 11-4 lead.
With the possibility of game seven on the line, the Big Red began what would be a four-inning climb back. In the bottom of the sixth, Denison was able to chip away at the seven-run deficit with an RBI double from Jack Lutte and Vega taking home on a passed ball to make it an 11-6 game. However, in the top of the seventh, Kalamazoo extended the lead back to six with a sacrifice fly to make it 12-6.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Big Red began their final push. Fishbein was able to reach on an error. With a 2-1 count, Lloyd sent a towering triple off the centerfield wall to cut it back down to a five-run lead.Â
Cooper fired a scoreless top of the eighth to keep the deficit at five runs. In the bottom of the penultimate inning, Vega wore a pitch to lead off the inning before Sundgren belted a triple off the right center wall to make it a 12-8 ballgame heading into the final frame.
In the final frame, Jack Rollo, who walked off the win against Cortland, took over on the mound for Denison. The junior righty recorded three straight flyouts to right field to give the Big Red one final chance to take the game with four runs needed to tie and five to walk it off once again.
Senior Jack Steel was the catalyst who started the final inning comeback. Steel singled into right field to give Denison its first base runner before Carson Herman pinch ran. Lloyd drew a walk before Kuyper Lashutka wore a 2-2 fastball to load the bases. Vega wore his fourth pitch of the day to plate Denison's ninth run. Lutte rolled a fielder's choice that gave the first out but cut the lead down to just two runs. Sundgren sent a sacrifice fly into deep left field to make it a one run ballgame with two outs. Kelly Crittenberger drew a walk to put the winning run at first base while Lutte stood at second. Tristan Kerr was the one who got the call. Making his first appearance of the regional tournament, Kerr belted a deep fly ball off the centerfield wall to plate the tying and winning run to punch Denison's ticket to the Super Regional tournament.
In the win, Denison used six total arms. Rollo was credited with his first win of his junior season. The staff of Marrs, Mullen, Shapo, Cerretani, Cooper, and Rollo struck out three total batters and allowed 15 total hits.Â
The win was highlighted by a team performance at the plate punctuated by the big swing of Kerr. The offense tallied 11 hits and was led by Lutte with three hits. Vega and Sundgren led the way with three RBIs, however, Vega was only 1-1 at the plate as he was hit four times and walked once. The lineup was walked six times and hit seven times in the win.
Up Next: Denison advances to the Super Regional Round. The Big Red will host Piedmont next weekend at Big Red Field in Granville, Ohio.
