FORT PIERCE, Fla. -- Playing without the majority of their regular starting lineup, the shorthanded Kenyon College baseball team suffered an 11-2 defeat at the hands of the Shoremen of Washington College (MD). The banged-up Owls fell to 5-3 after playing the fourth game in a stretch of five outings in four days, while the Shoremen improved to 4-6.

Kenyon trailed for all nine innings as Washington took an edge early and never looked back. The Shoremen went up 2-0 in the top of the first after two extra-base hits and a Kenyon error. After two Owls were left on base in the bottom of the frame, Washington doubled the deficit to 4-0 with two more runs on three hits.

The Owls had a chance to bounce back in the third inning after Noah Rosenberg struck out two in relief of Jake Davidson. Sam Howell had the team's first hit in the bottom of the frame, but he was picked off before the inning ended.

Washington responded with six runs in the top of the fourth to open up a 10-0 lead. Despite allowing just two hits, Kenyon needed two pitchers to get through the inning after the Shoremen benefitted from three unearned runs, three errors, three walks, and two stolen bases. Jackson Niedel and the Kenyon defense bounced back to leave the bases loaded in the top of the sixth, and Dustin Lee contributed to the effort by making a nice catch over the fence in foul territory. 

Parker Ellis and Ben Gimbel doubled and singled to lead off the bottom of the fifth, and the Owls scored their first run on an RBI groundout from Robbie Coates. Washington added a two-out run in the sixth, but Kenyon scored for the second straight frame in the bottom of the inning after Ellis hit an RBI double.

The final three innings went quickly as Kenyon went hitless while Washington was held to just two knocks. Abe Wingfield finished the game on the mound for the Owls and was impressive in three innings of work. The first-year struck out four while allowing just two hits and one walk.

Washington's Anthony Sofran had the best pitching performance of the day, picking up the win after seven innings of work. The senior struck out seven Owls, allowing five hits, two earned runs, and a walk. Matt Corda pitched two hitless, scoreless innings to end the game.

Ellis had the best day at the plate for Kenyon, going 2-4 with two doubles, an RBI, and a run. The first-year's two hits accounted for 40 percent of the team total and were his first hits in his three-game collegiate career.

The Owls can bounce back in a little over 24 hours when they take on Lasell University (1-0) at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 13, at the Bob Gladwin Baseball Complex at Lawnwood.