Baldwin Wallace saw its NCAA Division III College World Series run end with a 6-4 loss to Denison University, closing out a 37-12 season after falling two games short of the Championship Series.
EASTLAKE, Ohio — By the time Baldwin Wallace’s baseball team started slipping, it happened fast enough to feel like a door closing.
Denison University. playing through a swing of momentum. overcame the Yellow Jackets’ early lead and beat Baldwin Wallace 6-4 to end the program’s NCAA Division III College World Series journey. It was Baldwin Wallace’s third contested game of the weekend. and for the first time. Denison couldn’t keep the lead long—until Baldwin Wallace couldn’t hold on to it.
The Yellow Jackets opened the scoring and led 3-2 by the third inning. Then, runs came in the third and fourth, and control of the game slipped away. Baldwin Wallace finished the season 37-12, ending a run that reached the World Series but fell two games short of the Championship Series.
Baldwin Wallace drew first blood in the top of the first. Sophomore first baseman Matt DelDuca (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) delivered an RBI single to get the Yellow Jackets on the board in the first inning.
In the top of the second, Senior OAC Player of the Year Dennis Ritlinger-Nirider (Grove City) put pressure on Denison with a little blooper to the third baseman. It resulted in a single and a fielding error, which scored two runs.
After a stretch of silence from BW’s offense, the game finally cracked again in the top of the seventh. DelDuca drove in a run for his second RBI single of the day, ending a scoreless drought that had lasted five innings.
At the plate, the offense had bright spots even as the comeback never fully gathered steam. Junior designated hitter Colin West (Westborough, Mass./Worcester Academy) went 2-for-4 with a walk. DelDuca finished 2-for-4 with two RBI hits. Senior right fielder John Panstares (Westlake/St. Ignatius) was 2-for-4 and scored one of Baldwin Wallace’s runs. Senior shortstop Matt Terzola (Uniontown/Archbishop Hoban) drew two walks to contribute to the offense. Ritlinger-Nirider went 1-for-4 and walked in the top of the ninth to extend the game.
On the mound, Nolan Kellicker, a senior left-hander from Dover, started for Baldwin Wallace on one day of rest. He worked 1 2/3 innings, gave up one run, and did not issue a walk. Freshman right-hander Matthew Anzalone (Buffalo. N.Y./St Joes Collegiate Institute) followed and pitched two scoreless innings in the middle innings. also without issuing a walk.
The scoring and the lead tell the story of how close this season felt—and how quickly it ended. Baldwin Wallace did enough to get in front, and the lineup delivered key hits. But Denison’s runs in the third and fourth were the moment the weekend swung shut.
Baldwin Wallace Denison NCAA Division III College World Series baseball Eastlake Ohio Matt DelDuca Dennis Ritlinger-Nirider Nolan Kellicker Matthew Anzalone
6-4 sounds close but dang 37-12 is still pretty solid. Baseball always hurts though.
Wait so Denison just came in and stole it after BW led 3-2? Sounds like pitching just melted for a minute. I guess it’s all about momentum like the article said.
I don’t get how it’s called BW’s run ended if they scored first and had a lead… like wouldn’t that mean they won? Maybe the “two games short of the Championship Series” part got me. Either way, that fielding error scored two runs so seems like refs or defense messed up.
Denison winning isn’t shocking but the score shift from 3-2 to 6-4 in what, the 3rd and 4th? That’s wild. Also I’m seeing a bunch of names, but did that DelDuca guy do the most damage? I feel like if they had one more inning they’d be right back in it, like the whole season just… stopped.