FORT MYERS, Fla. – Two strong starts on the bump and a cast of supportive hitters helped the Kenyon College baseball team sweep the Widener University Pride in Monday's doubleheader at the Player Developmental Complex. Tim Krahn and Mike Jeffers combined for 13 strong innings of starting pitching and two wins in the team's 4-2 and 8-3 victories as they continue their run at the Gene Cusic Classic.

In their first game, the Lords jumped out to an early lead behind the bat of Nate Lotze. The junior knocked in a run in each of his first two at bats in the first and third innings to help build the early lead.

In the first inning, a dropped fly ball in foul territory turned into a run-scoring opportunity when he sent a single into left then came back in the third to drive another by depositing a two-out single into right field.

Krahn (1-0) took that early lead and rolled through his first three innings of work, striking out two of his four total in the second inning.

Widener (1-4) tied the game at two in the sixth when Matt Hone rolled a groundout to the right side, scoring Alec O'Dell who led the inning off with a triple.

The Lords responded in the top half of the eighth, tagging Widener starter Nicholas Moeltner with a pair of one-out singles, followed by Lotze's third RBI of the game with a single through the right side. Kyle Hardacker added to the lead with a sacrifice fly to left, prompting Moeltner's removal.

After junior Ben Steiner put a runner on base in the ninth, Alex Kendall came out of the bullpen to shut off the Widener rally. He walked his first batter faced but forced an infield fly to record the second out. Second baseman Mike Danziger knocked down a slow roller up the middle to prevent a run from scoring but his throw was not in time, leaving the bases loaded with two outs. Kendall (S, 1) closed the door by freezing Michael Riverso on a called third strike, giving Kenyon a 4-2 win.

Game two was far more one-sided after a five-run third inning supported Jeffers' season debut on the mound. Kenyon batted around the order in the inning and first got on the board with the first of Jake Dunn's three hits, which scored Zack Karson from second base.

Heads up base running by the Lords led to two more runs being scored on a fielder's choice that resulted in no outs being recorded. Danziger grounded a ball up the middle but the throw to second was not in time. One run scored on the play but Lotze rounded third base hard and went the rest of the way, beating the tag from the throw to the plate.

Kenyon escaped the third with a five-run lead and steered the momentum back to their side of the diamond. Jeffers' only blemish came in the sixth when he surrendered a trio of singles that resulted in a three-run inning for the Pride. The Lords immediately responded with a three-run inning of their own in the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back doubles by Andrew and Jake Dunn at the top of the lineup.

Kendall returned to the hill in the seventh and final inning to record the final three outs in the 8-3 win, which improved the Lords' overall record to 3-1 two days into the 2013 season.

The Lords continue their run at the 2013 Gene Cusic Classic tomorrow, March 5, against Wilmington College (OH). First pitch is set for 10 a.m. at Terry Park Field 3 (Fort Myers, Fla.).