CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. -- The Kenyon College baseball team extended its winning streak to three straight with a dominant game-one performance at Wabash College, but the Little Giants bounced back in game two to secure the doubleheader split.

After a doubleheader sweep over Oberlin College in their last outing, Kenyon picked up right where it left off against Wabash. Offensively, the Owls compiled 20 hits as seven batters notched multi-hit outings. Furthermore, four Owls had three or more hits, and Malcolm Gaynor paced the field with four hits in six at-bats. The junior tied a season-high with four RBIs and scored twice.

On the mound, Frank Lynch improved to 3-1 after a winning five-inning effort. Noah Rosenberg (1.1 innings) and Dalton Hastings (1.2 innings) helped Kenyon clinch the expedited game-one win with scoreless relief appearances.

The Little Giants struck first in game one, tagging Lynch for a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning. However, the Owls' offense picked their pitcher up by putting up seven runs in the ensuing half-inning. Kyle Dwyer reached on a leadoff error before Stephen Carr worked a walk, and five straight hits, including a three-RBI double from Gaynor, put Kenyon up 5-1. Dwyer came up again as the Owls batted around, and the senior slapped an RBI single through the right side. Kenyon scored an extra unearned run on the play after an error to lead 7-1.

After the early round-tripper, Lynch and the Owls kept Wabash off the board for two frames. A two-RBI triple from Edwin Groff in the third and an RBI single from Carr in the fourth increased Kenyon's lead to 10-1 as the Owls kept it rolling.

Wabash chipped away with runs in the fourth and fifth innings, but the Owls scored again in the seventh before pouring on six eighth-inning runs. Kenyon sealed the deal with five hits, including three doubles, going up 17-3 before Hastings closed out the victory in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Unfortunately for the Owls, the home team kept Kenyon from carrying much momentum into game two. Like in game one, Wabash struck first in the bottom of the first inning. The Owls managed to scratch back to tie the game at 2-2, but some late life from the Little Giants made Kenyon settle for a split of the twin bill.

Wabash jumped ahead 2-0 early thanks to two walks and two hits given up by Jackson Niedel. Despite the rough start, the Owls got back on track as Niedel, Andrew Catron, and the Kenyon defense held the home team scoreless over the next four innings.

Groff put Kenyon on the board in the third frame with a two-out solo shot, his second homer this season. The designated hitter continued to drive the Owls' offense, helping Kenyon pull even in the sixth inning. Groff singled before reaching third with two outs, and Dwyer brought the runner home with an RBI single that knotted the score at 2-2. Groff added to a strong 3-6 performance with three RBIs in game one by going 2-4 with two runs and one RBI in game two.

The rally was short-lived, however, as Wabash took a one-run lead in the bottom of the inning after an RBI double with two outs. After the Owls left two runners on base in the top of the seventh, the Little Giants extended their lead by two thanks to a walk, a hit-by-pitch, and two singles in the bottom of the inning. Ben Zimmerman singled with two outs in the top of the ninth as Kenyon held out hope for a rally, but Wabash closed the door to secure the 5-2 final.

The game-one victory boosted Kenyon's record to 16-10 overall and 4-5 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), jumping Wabash for fourth in the standings. However, the Little Giants reclaimed their spot with the game-two win, improving to 20-13 and 5-5 in the NCAC, while the Owls dropped to 16-11 (4-6 NCAC).

Kenyon is scheduled for a brief break in its NCAC slate with a pair of nonconference games against Muskingum University. The Owls host the Muskies for one game at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 23, before heading to New Concord, Ohio, at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, April 25, for the second half of the home-and-home.