Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
Denison 7, Ohio Wesleyan 2
Ohio Wesleyan 1, Denison 0

Sophomore righthander Chris Punka (Tallmadge/Cuyahoga Valley Christian) and junior righthander Jackson Brownstein (Houston, Texas/Bellaire) combined on a 7-hit shutout and freshman catcher Matt Deskins (Mason) drove in the game's only run to lift Ohio Wesleyan to a win over Denison and a split of a North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader on Saturday in Granville.

In the opener, the Big Red struck for 3 runs in the first inning and went on to take the win.

Ohio Wesleyan took the lead in the top of the first inning of the nightcap as senior outfielder Michael Blatchford (Shaker Heights) was hit by a pitch to open the game and sophomore outfielder Jon Erhard (Newark/Newark Catholic) followed with a single.  Sophomore first baseman Canyon McWilliams (Shaker Heights) lofted a fly ball to right, with Blatchford tagging up and heading to third on the play, and Deskins followed with a fly ball to left to score Blatchford.

Punka tightroped through a few jams, stranding Big Red runners at third base in the second and third innings and stranding runners at second and third in the fifth inning.  He got out of the sixth with a Denison runner at second base, and left the game with 2 outs in the seventh and runners at first and second, with Brownstein coming on in relief and getting Denison's Grady Paine to bounce into an inning-ending force play.

The Big Red loaded the bases with nobody out in the eighth, but Brownstein worked out of the inning by getting Will Krushena to bounce into a fielder's choice, with senior third baseman Colin Stolly (Lima/Central Catholic) cutting down the lead runner at the plate, then striking out Vince Walker before getting an inning-ending popup from Max Lahn.  Brownstein then retired the hosts in order in the ninth to nail down his first save of the season.  Punka allowed 5 hits over the first 6.2 innings, striking out 3 and walking 2.

In the opener, the Bishops took the lead on a sacrifice fly by McWilliams in the top of the first, but the Big Red got 3 runs in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by Jack Blanchard's 2-run double.  The Big Red would tack on single runs in the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh innings.

Blatchford went 3-for-4 for Ohio Wesleyan, while McWilliams was 2-for-3.  Senior righthander Kevin Zullo (Hudson) was the starting and losing pitcher for Ohio Wesleyan.

Danny Brackman pitched the first 8.0 innings to get the win for Denison.

Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2