Ohio Wesleyan 5, Denison 2
Denison 4, Ohio Wesleyan 2

May 9, 2008

Senior outfielder Joey McDaniel (Dublin/Scioto) scored twice and senior righthander Sean Speed (Cincinnati/St. Xavier) pitched a complete-game win as Ohio Wesleyan defeated Denison in Game 1 of the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament championship series on Friday in Granville.

In Game 2, Park Smith homered and Alex Horn went 3-for-3 as Denison stayed alive with a win, forcing a winner-take-all Game 3.

The Bishops took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of Game 1 as McDaniel singled, moved all the way to third on a sacrifice by freshman outfielder Zach Frentsos (Delaware/Hayes), and scored on a single by junior shortstop Logan Hronis (Rocky River/St. Edward).

Ohio Wesleyan stretched the lead to 3-0 in the fifth when McDaniel lined a 1-out double, Hronis was hit by a pitch, and senior outfielder Brent Wilkins (Fairview Park/Fairview) and senior first baseman A.J. Dote (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne) followed with RBI singles.

Denison closed to within 3-2 in the seventh on an RBI ground out by Kevin Teague and an RBI single by Horn, but Ohio Wesleyan answered with 2 runs in the eighth when Smith mishandled a throw from Teague on a grounder by senior second baseman Jerrell Johnson (Shaker Heights), allowing Dote and sophomore catcher Steve Ruygrok (Centennial, Colo./Cherry Creek) to score.

Dote was 3-for-4 with an RBI for Ohio Wesleyan, while McDaniel, Hronis and sophomore third baseman Eric McComas (Beverly Hills, Mich./Birmingham Groves) had 2 hits apiece.

Speed pitched the complete game, scattering 8 hits and striking out 4 while walking one.

James Clear went the distance for Denison, allowing 11 hits and striking out 1.

In Game 2, the Bishops had a chance to jump on top early, loading the bases with nobody out in the second inning, but Denison starter J.D. Wyborny worked out of the jam without yielding a run. The Big Red then took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the inning as Tony Christopher reached on Johnson's throwing error, took third on Teague's single and scored on a sacrifice fly by Andy Johnson.

The Bishops evened the game in the third as McDaniel led off with a single, moved to second on a Frentsos sacrifice and scored on Wilkins's single.

Denison took the lead for good on Smith's homer in the third, then added a run in the fourth on Horn's RBI double.

Ohio Wesleyan closed to within 3-2 in the sixth on Johnson's RBI single, but Denison bunched together 3 singles in the eighth to tally an insurance run.

McDaniel went 3-for-5 for the Bishops, while Dote and Johnson had 2 hits apiece.

Senior righthander Xander Jones (Pomfret, Conn./Pomfret School) pitched the complete game for Ohio Wesleyan, allowing 10 hits and striking out 3 while walking 1.

Wyborny allowed 10 hits, striking out 4 and walking 2.

Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2