Scots Still Alive in NCAC Championship Series After Answering Extra-Inning Walk-Off With An Extra-Inning Walk-Off

Extra innings times two. Walk-offs times two. One thing's for certain, the opening day of the 2021 North Coast Athletic Conference Baseball Championship Series offered plenty of excitement on both sides, as The College of Wooster and Denison University are now set for a decisive game three on Friday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. at Art Murray Field in Wooster, Ohio.

Junior right fielder Ben Hines likely kept Wooster's (25-12) season alive with a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th, as the Fighting Scots won the nightcap 7-6. In game one, Hines' two-hole counterpart, Denison (22-11) first baseman Brian McAuliffe, laced a walk-off double into the left field corner, lifting the Big Red to a 5-4 win in the bottom of the 13th.

Junior left fielder Dominic Stilliana, who tied the game at six via an eighth-inning sacrifice fly, scored the winning run. Denison center fielder Ty Robinson was in range for a play at the plate, but his throw was offline, enabling Stilliana to get past Big Red catcher Charlie Glennon for the winning run. Stilliana was hit to lead off the 10th, then junior catcher Alex Gasper and junior center fielder Ben Gbur worked walks to set the stage for Hines, who had five RBI over the two games.

Wooster needed a late rally to extend the game, and the Scots came through with two runs in the eighth. First-year designated hitter Eli Westrick went opposite field for his co-game-high third hit, and he later scored on a wild pitch. Second baseman Gabe Sherman, who hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games entering play, upped that mark to 11 of the last 12 with a single after Westrick's, and the senior stole second, moved up 90 feet on the wild pitch, and scored on Stilliana's sacrifice fly.

Hines' two-run single in the fifth pulled Wooster within 3-2, and sophomore first baseman Dane Camphausen tied the game at three with a single to center. Westrick capped the Scots' four-run fifth with a go-ahead opposite field single through the right side, and the score stood at 4-3 until Big Red left fielder Will Krushena's liner carried out for a two-run round-tripper in the seventh.

Junior Mitchell Reardon (3-1) escaped a pair of jams after Stilliana tied the game at six. The Scots' lefty reliever walked the leadoff man in the ninth and 10th innings, and that runner reached scoring position both times courtesy of sacrifice bunts. Reardon worked out of the ninth with a fly out and grounder he tracked down well off the mound. Then in the 10th, sophomore third baseman Dean Brown took care of business on Big Red shortstop's Max Lahn's slow chopper, which came with runners on the corners, for the final out of the inning.

Hines finished game two 2-for-5 with three RBI and a run, while five Scots had multi-hit games, including Stilliana. Senior Jay DiBacco allowed three runs on five hits in his five innings, as did Reardon.

Designated hitter Dylan Hunter had three of the Big Red's 10 hits. Senior Taylor Perrett allowed four runs (three earned) on 12 hits in six innings, while a quintet of relievers worked the final 3 1/3, including Henry Haack, who took the loss for hitting Stilliana. Haack went 1 2/3 innings, allowing a run on no hits.

A pair of just misses led to the walk-off in game one. Junior Colin Springer (2-3) reacted to Hunter's sharp one-out comebacker with a barehand grab, and the ball ricocheted off the right-hander's hand for an infield single. Next, Stilliana was unable to get to McAuliffe's opposite-field walk-off two-bagger.

The two teams traded déjà vu-like first innings in game one, as both teams struck for two. In fact, the first four from each lineup reached base, with Camphausen ripping a two-run double down the left field line in the top of the inning. In the bottom of the frame, Krushena tied it with a two-run double out of the four-hole. From there, the pitchers – Denison sophomore Charlie Fleming and Wooster senior Steve Spidell – struck out the next two batters before escaping further damage.

Hines drilled a 2-2 Fleming pitch in the fourth inning for a two-run homer, while Denison tied the game at four in the seventh.

Both teams had prime opportunities in the late and extra innings. Hines singled to start the ninth, however he was picked off by Glennon. Brown walked to start the top of the 11th and moved over to second on Westrick's sacrifice before getting stranded in scoring position.

Denison's best chance prior to the 13th came in the 10th. That's when catcher Daniel Spencer legged out a triple to start the frame. However, second baseman Sam Correa couldn't get his fly ball deep enough, then Springer walked the tight rope with a strikeout and grounder that ended the inning. The Scots got out of the 11th with an inning-ending double play.

Camphausen and Hines finished with two hits and two RBI apiece in the opener, while Springer allowed one run on five hits in his phenomenal 6 1/3 innings of relief.

McAuliffe, who took over Denison's all-time RBI lead with his walk-off double, led all players with three hits. Jack Arnstein fired six innings of two-hit shutout baseball to improve to 4-1 on the year.

Denison will be the home team for Friday's decisive game at Art Murray Field. The Big Red are in search of their first-ever NCAC title, while the Scots are looking to make it five straight and a league-high 20 overall.