GRANVILLE, OHIO - #23 Rowan (28-13) rebounded from an early deficit to defeat Millikin, 10-6, in its first game of the NCAA Division III Granville Regional at Denison University on Friday night. The Profs move into the winner's bracket and will play #2 Denison, which defeated Hanover, 15-1, in the day's first game.
The start times for Saturday's contests have been moved back one hour. Millikin (29-15) will play Hanover in an elimination game at noon, with the Profs and Denison starting at 3:30 p.m. The third game of the day is scheduled for 7 p.m.
All four teams saw their game times delayed by five hours due to the rain that hit the area until the afternoon, with the Profs and Big Blue taking the field at 7:45 p.m.
Mike Shannon, the NJAC Pitcher of the Year, went 7.0 innings and struck out six to improve his record to a team-best 9-3. Jayson Dougherty, Sean Colbert and Charlie Russell combined to pitch the final three innings, along with Jaxon Casdia, who got out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the ninth after Millikin had scored two runs.
Tyler Cannon, Dylan Maria, Pat Defeciani, Chris Serrano, Karson Harcourt and Anthony Schooley had two hits apiece to lead Rowan with Maria and Harcourt each notching two RBIs.
Rowan trailed, 2-0, after a half inning as Millikin's Ryan Janssen connected on a two-run home run over the center field fence. The Profs got three runs back in the bottom of that inning as Cannon led off with his team-best 18th double of the year, Phil Sedalis walked and Defeciani moved them up with a sacrifice bunt. Cannon scored the first on as he tagged on a long foul out by Maria. Sedalis came home on a sacrifice fly by Jason Morgan and Defeciani scored on an RBI single by Harcourt for a 3-2 Rowan lead.
Millikin tied it up, 3-3, in the top of the second as Andy Niebrugge sent one over the fence in left center.
Rowan scored twice in the second as Defeciani singled to bring home Cannon, who had reached base on a fielder's choice. Maria then hit another sacrifice fly that allowed Sedalis to score from third and give the Profs a 5-3 lead.
The Profs added a run in the fifth when Schooley walked, stole second, advanced on a single by Serrano and scored on a wild pitch. In the sixth, Rowan increased the lead to 7-3 as Serrano doubled and scored on a single by Cannon.
Rowan extended the lead with a three-run eighth inning, helped by two Millikin errors. Harcourt drove in Defeciani with a single, Schooley singled to bring home Maria and Harcourt scored when Serrano reached on an error to take a 10-3 lead into the ninth.
Millikin loaded the bases in the ninth and although the Big Blue scored two off Casdia, the freshman lefthander was able to record the final three outs to preserve the win.