Granville, Ohio - DePauw's 10-game win streak came to an end at the hands of top-ranked Denison as the Tigers fell to the Big Red by scores of 7-0 and 7-6 with the nightcap stopped with two outs in the top of the seventh due to weather.
The Tigers dropped to 23-10 overall and 8-4 in the North Coast Athletic Conference, while the Big Red improved to 30-1 overall and 10-0 in the NCAC and extended their win streak to 29..
In the opener, Denison took a 1-0 lead in the third as Eron Vega led off with a triple and scored on Jack Lutte's sacrifice fly. The Big Red's Kelly Crittenberger drew a one-out walk in the fourth before Cade Nowik doubled and Nate Lloyd followed with a three-run homer to left.
Denison extended the lead to 5-0 in the sixth as Jack Rollo led off with a double and scored when Kelly Crittenberger reached a throwing error of his sacrifice bunt. The Big Red wrapped up the scoring in the eighth as Crittenberger and Nowik singled before Lloyd advanced them with a sacrifice bunt. Max Fishbein's sacrifice fly scored Crittenberger and Kuyper Lashutka's pinch-hit single brought home Nowik.
Grady Johnson had both of DePauw's hits, while Nowik had three of Denison's 12 with Vega and Lloyd each finishing with two.
Justin Benes dropped to 4-2 with the loss, while Andrew Montero improved to 4-0.
Denison jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of game two as Vega and Lutte walked. Erik Sundgren reached on a fielder's choice with Lutte forced at second. When the Tigers tried to pick off Sundgren at first, Sundgren got in a rundown and Vega stole home, beating the throw to the plate. After Nowik walked, Lloyd singled home Sundgren.
The Tigers scored their first runs of the day in the third as
Bryson Dorsey reached on an error and moved to second on
Tyler Walkey's sacrifice bunt. After
Aidan Howard was hit by a pitch,
Max Bond homered to center. Johnson then followed with a solo shot to right to give DePauw a 4-2 lead.
Denison regained the lead in the bottom of the third as Crittenberger singled with one out and stole second. Nowik's double scored Crittenberger before Lloyd tripled home Nowik.
DePauw evened the count in the fifth with
Aidan Howard leading off with a single and reaching third following an error on the play. Bond's sacrifice fly scored Howard and tied the game at 5-5.
Sundgren led off the Denison fifth with a walk and then scored on a throwing error from the outfield to third after Crittenberger singled. Nowik then plated Crittenberger with a sacrifice fly to give the Big Red a 7-5 lead.
Nolan Osterling singled with two outs in the sixth before Dorsey and Walkey singled to load the bases. Howard drew a walk which scored Osterling before a grounder ended the threat.
The first two DePauw hitters in the seventh were retired before a weather delay of nearly three hours ensued before the game was called.
Johnson had two of DePauw's eight hits with Bond driving in four. Crittenberger and Lloyd each had two of Denison's six hits. Daunic Mahoney improved to 4-0, while
Nate Tencza dropped to 2-3.
DePauw hosts John Carroll on Saturday, April 25, in a Noon NCAC doubleheader.
