Greencastle, Ind. - DePauw forced extra innings in the opener with fifth-raked Denison by scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth but the Big Red won, 12-4, in 11 innings and then held off the Tigers in the nightcap for an 8-6 victory. The Tigers dropped to 9-21 overall and 2-8 in the North Coast Athletic Conference, while Denison improved to 23-5 overall and 7-1 in conference play.
Denison grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning of game one as Erik Sundgren's sacrifice fly scored Jack Lutte and Jack Rollo's grounder brought home Eric Colaco.
Lutte singled home Cade Nowik in the fourth and Eron Vega came home as part of a double steal.
Louis Florida's solo homer in bottom of the fourth put the Tigers on the board.
In the bottom of the ninth, pinch-hitter
Nate Heflin was hit by a pitch and pinch-runner
Jack Murray was forced at second when
Max Bond reached on a fielder's choice for the second out. Straub singled with Bond moving to third and
Carter Knoll wat hit by a pitch to load the based.
Zach O'Connell entered as a pinch-runner for Knoll and
Cuinn Morrow drew a bases-loaded walk to cut the deficit to 4-2.
Grady Johnson then delivered a two-run single to tie the game. After
Louis Florida was intentionally walked,
Bryson Dorsey hit a grounder to Nowik and the third baseman beat Johnson to third for the final out.
Both teams were retired in order in the 10th before Denison broke through in the 11th. Nowik led off with a single and then moved to second when Eron Vega reached on an error of his sacrifice bunt. Pinch-hitter Jack Steel then reached on a bunt single that loaded the bases. Lutte's walk brought home Nowik and Colaco followed with a grand slam to left center.
The Big Red loaded the bases again and Alex Vasquez's sacrifice fly scored Sundgren before Max Fishbein came home on a wild pitch and Rollo scored on Nowik's single.
Straub and
Grady Johnson each had two of DePauw's nine hits, while Nowik had three of Denison's 10 hits with Colaco and Jake Blozy each adding two.
Charlie Hawk dropped to 1-5 after hurling seven innings of relief and Rollo improved to 2-1.
DePauw grabbed a 1-0 lead in the opening inning of the nightcap as Bond led off with a walk and stole second before scoring on Johnson's single.
The Big Red reached the board with a five-run fifth. Colaco, Sundgren and Fishbein each delivered RBI singles before Sundgren scored on a wild pitch and Fishbein came home when Fazio hit into a double play.
Andrew Fazio's single in the fifth scored Fishbein and Sundgren hit a leadoff homer in the seventh to make it 7-1. Steel's bases loaded walk in the seventh wrapped up Denison's scoring.
DePauw scored five in the bottom of the seventh as Knoll's sacrifice fly brought home
Tyler Walkey before Johnson's single plated Bond. Straub then scored on a wild pitch before Morrow came home on Florida's single. Johnson scored on Dorsey's grounder.
A pair of Tigers reached in the ninth, but a ground out ended the threat.
Johnson had four of DePauw's eight hits, while Colaco and Sundgren each had two of Denison's nine.
Josh Heitert dropped to 1-3, while Sam Larson improved to 2-0 and Ryan Paganelis collected his first save.
DePauw returns to action on Saturday, April 19, with a Noon doubleheader against Oberlin on Walker Field.
