GAMBIER, Ohio – Two days after hitting a walk-off, extra-inning home run against Hiram College, Kenyon College senior
Matt Contreras did it again Saturday. The Lords' second baseman hammered a two-run homer to left centerfield in the bottom of the 12th inning against DePauw University.
The walk-off gave the Lords a 9-7 win in the second game of a doubleheader with the Tigers, who were victors in game one by a 2-0 count.
After winning game one, DePauw bombarded Kenyon freshman starting pitcher
Zach Elsawy in game two. Elsawy came into the game with a 3-0 record and a 0.75 ERA. The Tigers, however, chased him from the mound after two innings that included five runs on six hits and three walks.
The Tigers tacked on another run to take a 6-0 lead in the top of the fourth, but Kenyon bats finally came alive in the bottom of the inning. After back-to-back singles from
Eric DelRosso and
Alex Gow, junior
Patrick O'Leary blasted a three-run home run, his eighth of the season. Contreras then doubled and later scored, making the score 6-4 in favor of DePauw.
In the top of the sixth, DePauw tallied one more and Kenyon, again, answered with a big inning. In the bottom of the frame,
Andrew Rabinowitz hit a sacrifice fly that scored
Brent Henderson. Two batters later,
Ryan Page laced a triple to the wall in right center, scoring
Zach Frizzera and
Will Sturgeon to tie the game at 7-7.
Kenyon reliever
Nathan Chandler, who took the mound in the seventh inning, completely slammed the door on DePauw to pick up the win. The junior right-hander finished off the final six innings of the game, allowing just two hits and fanning eight Tiger batters.
Chandler's dominance gave Contreras the hero opportunity and he took full advantage. With one out in the bottom of the 12th, O'Leary was hit by a pitch. Contreras then stepped in and ended the game with his fifth home run of the season.
Contreras, Page, DelRosso, Gow and Rabinowitz all had two hits in the Lords' game-two win.
The first game of the day didn't feature much hitting, but two outstanding pitching performances. Gow, a junior right-hander, took the ball for the Lords, while senior Grant Rademacher got the start for the Tigers. Gow went six innings and allowed just three hits. He struck out five and walked six.
One of the walks that Gow yielded came back to haunt him in the fourth inning. It was a leadoff walk to Spencer Youngcourt, who moved to second on sacrifice bunt from T.J. Carney-DeBord. Nolan Lavender then singled and stole second to put Tiger runners on second and third base with just one out. Gow then struck out Cameron Allen, but the next DePauw batter, Evan Barnes, got a single to sneak past Contreras, who was diving to his right to make the stop. That hit plated the only two runs of the game.
Meanwhile, Rademacher mowed down Kenyon batters. He wound up tossing eight innings and striking out 13. He walked three and allowed just one hit, a single to Henderson in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Brayden White closed things out in the ninth for DePauw by retiring the side in order and collecting his second save of the season.
Charlie Bailey wrapped things up for the Lords, striking out three and walking two in a pair of scoreless innings.
The split put Kenyon at 18-9 overall and 5-3 in the North Coast Athletic Conference, while DePauw moved to 15-11 overall and 2-4 in the NCAC.
