EASTLAKE, OHIO - Rowan's late rally fell just short as #4 Denison held on to defeat the #15 Profs, 12-10, in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship at
Classic Auto Group Park. Rowan (36-11) will face the loser of tonight's (6) Trinity vs. (3) UW-Whitewater matchup in an elimination game on Saturday at 4:45 p.m.

ROWAN POST-GAME PRESS CONFERENCE
 
Trailing 12-7 heading into their final at-bat, the Profs scored three times and had one man on as Denison recorded the final out. Brayden Davis reached base on an error, eventually advanced to third, and scored on a single by pinch-hitter Nick Struble. Struble then scored on Tyler Cannon's tripled. Denison (41-5) brought in DH Jack Rollo to pitch and Phil Sedalis hit an RBI single to close Rowan with, 12-10, but Rollo was able to get the final out.
 
Jason Morgan went 2-for-5 with two RBI while Cannon and Sedalis had two hits and an RBI each. Davis, Struble and Karson Harcourt drove in one run apiece. 
 
Mike Shannon (8-3) went 3.0 innings, with reliever Steven Maiers also throwing 3.0 innings and striking out four. Austin Kreyenhagen retired the side in one inning, striking out two, while Jack Norton did the same in one inning, shutting down Denison and recording one strikeout.
 
The Profs showed their resiliency every time Denison jumped ahead. The Big Red struck with one run in the first inning, but Rowan quickly tied it with one swing from Davis, as he sent a pitch over the fence in left center, for his seventh homer of the season.
 
Denison went back up, 2-1, in the bottom of the second but again the Profs answered. Rowan loaded the bases in the third on back-to-back singles by Cannon and Sedalis, and Marco Mannino reaching after being hit with a pitch. Morgan then delivered a two-out single to score Cannon and Sedalis and give Rowan a 3-2 lead.
 
Denison scored four in the third, led by a three-run homer from Rollo to take a 6-3 advantage before  the Profs fought back in the fourth and chased starter Nick Falter. Rowan loaded the bases again, as Davis reached on an error, Eric Sabato was hit by a pitch and Joey Bogart laid down a bunt single. Davis scored on a double play ground out and then Sabato crossed the plate as Cannon reached on an error.
 
The Big Red scored two more in the fourth to increase the lead to 8-5 as Erik Sundgren laced a double down the line to drive in the first run and then scored on a Prof error.
 
Rowan threatened in the fifth and loaded the bases, but Mannino was robbed of an extra base hit as Alex Vasquez pulled the high line drive out of the air, ending the Profs' chance for multiple runs
 
Denison appeared to pull away as it tacked on four more in the sixth to increase its lead to 12-5.  Rowan was able to get two more back, as Suriani scored on a wild pitch and Sabato crossed the plate on a ground out, closing the Profs within 12-7 and setting the stage for the final rally.