CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Kenyon College Owls and Case Western Reserve University Spartans have a long history of intrastate matchups, but the Ohio-based baseball teams lined up for just the second time since 2010 when they played a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. The hosting Spartans, ranked No. 22 in the nation, came out on top in both ends of the reunion twin bill, posting wins of 16-6 and 5-1 at Nobby's Ballpark.

Despite coming out on the wrong side of the doubleheader sweep, the Owls (16-9) had their moments in each game. Kenyon came out swinging, staggering the nationally-ranked Spartans (23-6) by scoring three runs in the top of the first inning in game one. The Owls hung tight in game two despite facing an early deficit, and the visitors had a chance at an impressive comeback when they brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning.

Luke Meister made the most significant impact in game one, hitting 3-for-4 with three RBIs. The hits tied his season high, while the RBIs matched his season's second-best mark. The senior sparked Kenyon's offense with a two-RBI double in the first inning, giving the Owls an early 3-0 lead. Meister kept mashing when he tacked on an RBI triple in the fourth frame before coming around to score, putting Kenyon up 5-2 at the midway point.

Unfortunately, CWRU got to Kenyon's bullpen and pulled away with 12 unanswered runs. The Spartans scored two in the fifth before pulling ahead with a six-run sixth, and the home team clinched the victory with three runs in each of the seventh and eighth innings. CWRU won the game on a walk-off in the eighth by taking a 10-run lead, ending the game due to run rule.

After tallying 13 hits in game one, Kenyon's offense was limited to four knocks in game two, including just two over the first seven innings. Case Western Reserve kept rolling with two runs in the first and another in the third, and the home team built a 5-0 lead with another two runs in the seventh inning.

Despite the quiet game at the plate, the Owls did enough to hang around. After a two-hit first game, Drew Robinson led off the eighth inning with a double to give Kenyon a spark. The senior stole third before coming around to score, cutting Kenyon's deficit to 5-1. Parker Gibbons's one-out single in the top of the ninth started a late rally, and the Owls loaded the bases with two outs after Ben Zimmerman got plunked and Nate Rosen worked a walk. Robinson came up as the tying run, but a new pitcher closed the door by inducing a game-ending fielder's choice to spoil Kenyon's comeback effort.

Kenyon pitchers that posted strong outings included Theo Canning in game one and Peyton Hodges in game two. Canning started the game with two hitless, scoreless innings, striking out three Spartans before being relieved. Hodges threw three scoreless innings in game two, striking out two while allowing just two hits. Jack Enger and Christian Harris each threw a scoreless inning of relief in game two.

After playing five straight games on the road, Kenyon is scheduled to be at home in Gambier for the team's next five games. The Owls' homestand starts with a North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader against Oberlin College on Wednesday, April 17. First pitch is set for noon on McCloskey Field.