FORT PIERCE, Fla. – Without any preseason practice on a grass field, the Kenyon College baseball team's defense faltered in Sunday's season-opening game at the Lawnwood Complex. The Lords committed three errors that led to six unearned runs and a 6-3 loss to the Drew University Rangers.

After Alex Gow gave Kenyon an early 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the first inning, the damage started in the bottom of the second. With two outs already on the board, Drew used a Kenyon error, a double, a hit batsman and a base-loaded walk to jump ahead 2-1.

The Lords offense, however, made up for the miscues in the top of the third, answering Drew's two runs with two of their own. Ryan Page started things out by reaching base via a fielder's choice. He stole second and later came around to score on another RBI single from Gow. Patrick O'Leary then stepped into the box and doubled home Gow, giving Kenyon a 3-2 lead.

Drew starting pitcher, Pete Violante, settled down after that and retired the next 11 straight Kenyon batters. He picked up the win after working six innings that included four hits, a walk and eight strikeouts. Brandon Radd closed out the final three innings and yielded just two hits to log his first save of the season.

Back in the fifth inning, with the Lords still holding a 3-2 lead, Drew (3-2) capitalized on a couple more Kenyon errors to take the lead for good. The Rangers paired up the Kenyon mistakes with three singles, a double and a couple stolen bases to score four times.

That outburst chased Kenyon starter Patrick Craig from the mound. Craig, in five innings, gave up seven hits and two walks. He hit one batter and fanned four. All six runs he yielded were unearned.

Grayson Lawrence finished off the final three innings on the mound for Kenyon and, like Radd, allowed just two hits.

Gow finished 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored and two RBI. At the top of the order, Page went hitless, but got on base twice, stole two bases and scored twice. O'Leary, Alexander Hoskins and Jake Brown accounted for the other Kenyon hits.

Next up for the Lords (0-1) is a Monday doubleheader with Elizabethtown College. Game one is slated for a 10 a.m. start.