Denison athletics photo by Brandon Morgan

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (March 3, 2024) – The No. 10 Denison University baseball team not only won 10-9 in a walk-off over the No. 11-ranked University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and 11-6 over the tournament hosts from Spalding University (Ky.) during the final day of the Derby City Classic on Sunday, but the two wins also allowed the Big Red the celebrate Mike Deegan's 300th career win as the head coach at Denison. Now in his 12th season leading the Big Red, Deegan has guided his teams to three North Coast Athletic Conference Championships and four NCAC Tournament titles while posting a .680 winning percentage (300-141).

Game 1 (No. 10 Denison 10, No. 11 UW-Stevens Point 9):

The Big Red showed their fighting spirit all tournament long, and it was the same during game one on Sunday as Denison trailed 7-0 after two innings before coming back to ultimately win the game in the final inning.

Stevens Point scored six runs on five hits in the top of the second inning while Denison scored four unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth after an errant throw from third base extended the inning and led to a two-RBI single to right field by Noah Leib and an RBI-single up the middle by Jake Welsch.

The Big Red added three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie it at 7-7. Eric Colaco led off the inning with a double down the left field line before scoring on a groundout to short by Max Fishbein. The inning also featured an RBI-single to left field by Cade Nowik before a two-out RBI-single through the right side by Owen Wilson.

Then after Denison walked in two runs in the top of the sixth, the Big Red got one of those runs back as Jake Blozy led off with a walk himself and later scored on a single to right field by Fishbein for his second RBI of the game.

Denison tied the game for the second time in the bottom of the seventh inning when Nowik hit a one-out single to center field, advanced to third on the ensuing single to center by Wilson and then scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Jack Lutte.

In the bottom of the ninth, Leib led off with a double to center field before Welsch singled to second base to put the winning run just 90 feet away with nobody out. Nowik was intentionally walked to load the bases, and then after a strikeout for the first out of the inning, Lutte singled to short to score Leib and end the game.

Leib, Nowik and Welsch each finished with three hits for the Big Red while Leib was 3-for-4 with two RBI's and three runs scored.

Jack Rollo was able to eat up 3.1 innings in relief, entering in the top of the third inning and keeping Stevens Point off the scoreboard for his first three innings while tossing back-to-back 1-2-3 frames in the fourth and fifth innings.

Game 2 (No. 10 Denison 11, Spalding 6):

Denison scored four runs in the top of the third inning as Wilson led off the frame with a home run to left field before an RBI-single by Lutte, a bases-loaded walk by Welsch and another RBI-single by Blozy.

Spalding cut its deficit to one run (4-3) in the bottom of the fourth inning after getting a leadoff home run to left center and then scoring on a failed pickoff attempt by the Big Red at third base.

The two teams then traded three-run innings in the sixth inning before the Big Red put the game away by scoring in each of the next three innings as well.

Lutte came up with his fourth RBI of the day after an RBI-single to short in the top of the seventh, Nowik added a two-run double to left field in the top of the eighth, and then Lutte's single to right field in the ninth inning started a string of three straight two-out singles by the Big Red that ended with an RBI-single through the left side by Welsch.

Lutte was 4-for-5 with three runs scored and Leib was 2-for-3 with three walks. Lutte and Leib were two of four Big Red players with two RBI's against Spalding and both finished with five hits and four RBI's between the two games on Sunday for the Big Red.

Erik Sundgren and Leib both finished with three stolen bases as well against the Golden Eagles while Ryan Starr pitched the final 2.1 innings allowing no hits, one walk and three strikeouts.

Records:Denison improves to 5-1 on the season while UW-Stevens Point falls to 0-3 and Spalding falls to 5-5.
It was the first game between Denison and UW-Stevens Point since a 5-1 loss for the Big Red at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational in 2014 and was the Big Red's first win against the Pointers in four meetings all-time. The Pointers went 33-14 last season and reached the decisive game of the Super Regionals after claiming the 11th regular season title in program history.
Also last season, Denison defeated Spalding 6-2 during the Derby City Classic before throwing a combined one-hitter in a 7-0 win for the Big Red to advance to the championship game of the Granville Regional during the postseason. The Big Red are now 3-0 all-time against the Golden Eagles.

Next Up: Next up for the Big Red baseball team will be its Spring Break trip to the Snowbird Baseball Classic in Port Charlotte, Florida, which begins on Saturday, March 9, against Babson College.