MARIETTA, Ohio—After a five-day layoff there was some concern that Denison's hot streak might be put on ice. Those concerns were proved premature after Thursday night's 11-2 win over Marietta College.
Denison checked into the game ranked 11th in the ABCA/Collegiate Baseball Top-25 and was 18th in D3Baseball.com poll. The Big Red also carried an 11-game winning streak and a 21-2 record into Don Schaly Stadium.
Rookie lefthander Will McManaman took the ball for DU and continued to dazzle. He pitched six innings, scattering five hits and three walks while striking out seven. Marietta scored one run in the first after D. Yenzi reached on an error to lead off the game. After that, McManaman was in control and he got plenty of help from the Big Red offense.
Before he even took the mound the Denison bats spotted him a 3-0 lead thanks to a bases-loaded walk by Will Krushena, a sacrifice fly by Daniel Spencer and an RBI single by Vince Walker.
In the fifth, Denison got a little two-out magic after an RBI double to center by Brian McAuliffe. Spencer followed with a single to left, scoring McAuliffe.
Denison took a 7-1 lead in the sixth via a two-run single by Grady Paine off Pioneers reliever C. Kenworthy.
Current North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week, Will Krushena, entered with a 23-game hitting streak. He started the game 0-for-3 but delivered a one-out double in the eighth to extend the streak to 24-games. Krushena has hit safely in all 24 games this season.
Paine was 2-for-5 with a walk, two RBIs and two runs scored. McAuliffe was also 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. Nick Pettigrew entered the game late and went 2-for-2 with an RBI and one run scored. Walker also had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-5.
McManaman improved to 5-0 while lowering his season ERA to 1.50 in 36.0 innings pitched. John Troll, Jack Arnstein and Henry Haack pitched the final three innings for Denison. The loss was tagged to Marietta starter Justin Aviles (0-2).
Denison not only improves to 22-2 this also marks their fifth-straight win over Marietta. The 12-game winning streak is also a new program record, besting an 11-game winning streak in 2003. DU returns to NCAC play on Saturday (April 13) when they travel to Hiram for a doubleheader that begins at noon.