GRANVILLE, OH. - The Birmingham-Southern baseball team defeated #2 Denison 10-1 to put themselves a win away from the College World Series. Drake LaRoche led the Panthers with a 127-pitch complete game gem.

Denison got on the board in the top of the first, but Ian Hancock's sac fly in the bottom of the inning tied the game at one. Charlie Banks then singled immediately after to give BSC a 2-1 lead. 

In the third, the four and five hitters continued to produce for BSC with back-to-back RBI singles through the left side. After three innings of baseball, 'Southern found themselves up 4-1 courtesy of Hancock and Banks' two RBIs each.

Drake LaRoche continued to deal on the mound for the Panthers with three consecutive scoreless innings. Mitch Austin then scored on a wild pitch to score BSC's fifth run in the fourth before Andrew Dutton singled to give game one's "home team" a five-run lead. With the bases loaded, Charlie Banks recorded his third RBI of the day after being hit by a pitch to put BSC up 7-1.

Both teams failed to score in the next two innings, but BSC's offense was not done. In the seventh, Mitch Austin laid down a perfect bunt and brought home two more runs after a throwing error at first. Jackson Webster later doubled down the left field line to give the Panthers double digits and a 10-1 lead.

Birmingham-Southern was not forced into a pitching change all afternoon as Drake LaRoche retired batter after batter. He held the Big Red scoreless for eight consecutive innings and went on to pitch a complete game with 127 pitches thrown. LaRoche's gem solidified a 10-1 win in game one to give the Panthers the advantage heading into day two of Super Regionals.

Records
Birmingham-Southern 31-14, #2 Denison 42-7

Up Next
Game 2 vs. Denison will begin tomorrow, May 25 at 11:00 a.m. EST for a chance at a Super Regional title.