FORT PIERCE, Fla. – Sophomore starting pitcher Thomas Morris blanked the Buccaneers in game one and the Kenyon College offense erupted in extra innings of game two, as the Lords baseball team swept a season-opening doubleheader from Massachusetts Maritime Academy. The Sunday twin bill saw Kenyon win by scores of 3-0 (in seven innings) and 10-3 (in eleven innings) at the Lawnwood Baseball Complex.

Morris gave up a double and a walk in his first inning of work. After that, he allowed just one more hit and one more walk over the next six innings. He struck out three and, at one point in the game, retired 13 consecutive Buccaneer batters. The defense behind him did not falter. The Lords, who struggled to overcome errors last season, helped Morris record the two-hit victory by logging a dozen ground outs, four pop outs, and a game-ending double play without committing a single error.

At the plate, Kenyon did all of its damage in the fourth inning. John Nahra and Kyle Hardacker started the frame with back-to-back singles. Tyler Roldan was struck by a pitch and the Lords had the bases loaded with no outs. Phillip Nam then swatted an RBI single and, later in the inning, freshman Max Heldman tacked on another single that scored Roldan and Nam.

In game two, a contest scheduled for seven innings, the Lords trailed 3-2 after six. In the top of the seventh, Nam singled again. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from pinch hitter Jono Chafe and then scored on a single from freshman Matt von Roemer.

Another Kenyon freshman, Jesse Bogacz got the call to start on the hill. He went three innings and gave up three runs before giving way to senior reliever Mike Jeffers, who kept the Buccaneer bats silent. Jeffers ended up tossing nearly six innings, gave up just two hits, and fanned three.

Junior Spencer Byers pitched the final two innings for Kenyon and picked up the pitching win after the Lords posted seven runs in the top of the 11th inning. During that outburst, which was prolonged by a Massachusetts Maritime error, Nam singled twice. von Roemer, Jake Dunn, and Roldan also singled, while Hardacker came up with a two-run double.

Dunn ended up going a perfect 6-for-6 at the plate during the doubleheader. He scored two runs, had two RBI, and drew three walks. Nam was 5-for-9 with three runs scored and Hardacker was 4-for-7 with a run scored and two RBI. von Roemer and Casey Rosenfeld each had three-hit days.

Kenyon gets right back to work Monday at the Lawnwood Complex with games against Susquehanna University at 10 a.m. and Wilkes University at 1:30 p.m.