Tony Christopher was 6-for-9 with five runs scored, three RBIs and three stolen bases on Saturday versus Kenyon. Denison will play for the NCAC Championship on May 8-9 in Granville.

After capturing NCAC West title, the Big Red baseball squad will move on to the NCAC Championship series next weekend after downing the Lords of Kenyon College, 15-3 and 6-5.

Game one turned out to be "Senior Day Part Two" as right-handed starter James Clear (Hamilton, Ohio/Badin) went the distance, allowing one earned run and striking out six in nine complete innings. Fellow senior Tony Christopher (Moreland Hills, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) came up two feet short of hitting for the cycle as his pair of triples and trio of RBIs led the offensive barrage from the Big Red.

Innings of four, three and seven runs, combined with five Kenyon errors, allowed the Big Red to run through six different hurlers out of the bullpen to close the game.

The hot bats slowed to open game two. Sophomore first baseman Park Smith (Warren, N.J./Pingry) singled through the left side to score freshman Danny Pritz (Wilmette, Ill./Lyons Twp.) to put the Big Red on the board. Junior Andy Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) added another on his RBI single to score freshman third baseman Kevin Teague (Fairfax Station, Va./St. Stephen's and St. Agnes) to give the Big Red a 2-0 advantage.

After Smith again drove in Pritz in the top of the fifth to push the lead to three. But in the bottom of the fifth, the Lord bats woke up, tying the game at three after loading the bases with one out. In the sixth, a 2 RBI double to right center by designated hitter Pat Gunn put Kenyon on top.

Fast forward to the top of eight, game tied at three, as Christopher opened the inning with a single up the middle. Freshman speedster Len Mills (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) pinch ran for Christopher and was driven in by sophomore cather Alex Horn (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) with a single through the left side of the infield.

Pritz singled in the leadoff spot to score Johnson as he slid under the tag to knot the game at five. After a pitching change, senior left fielder Tim LaBolt (LaGrange, Ill./Lyons Twp.) followed that up by driving in Horn to take the lead that would hold.

Sophomore Aidan Lucas (Evanstown, Ill./Evanston Twp.) came in for the two-inning save for his seventh of the season. With the save, the flamethrower moved into second all-time for saves in a single season trailing Matt Streicher with eight.

Pritz and senior Tim LaBolt (LaGrange, Ill./Lyons Twp.) combined to go 6-10 in the one and two spots of the lineup for the game and 13-23 on the day.

Denison awaits word on their match-up for next weekend. The winner of the Wooster-Ohio Wesleyan series will travel to Granville for the best two out of three game championship series Thursday and Friday.

Game One Box

Game Two Box