FORT PIERCE, Fla. -- The Kenyon College baseball team put together one of its most complete performances so far this season, leading to a 12-3 win over Lasell University. The Owls' offense had a 21-hit outburst, setting season highs for hits, RBIs (11), and doubles (6). On the other side, Kenyon pitchers limited the Lasers to just three runs and stranded a lengthy list of Lasell runners, helping the squad secure a third straight victory.
Kenyon's lineup laced the ball all over against Lasell pitchers, and all 10 Owls hitters had at least one knock. Kenyon's top five hitters all had multiple hits, and seven of the 10 batters compiled multi-hit games as the Owls offense had double-digit hits for the fourth time over the last five games.
Parker Gibbons led the way with a career-high four hits in five at-bats, and the senior extended a seven-game streak with multiple knocks. Fellow seniors Nate Rosen and Luke Meister added three-hit games. Meister had his season's best offensive game, going 3-for-4 at the plate and tying for the game-high with two runs and two RBIs. Meister also mashed his season's first home run, a leadoff shot in the third inning that helped the Owls to their highest-scoring frame.
Ben Resnick started the scoring with an RBI single in the second before Meister's dinger in the next frame. The Owls scored four in the third after a two-RBI double from Dustin Lee and an RBI single from Gibbons, extending Kenyon's edge to 5-0.
Theo Canning nearly completed a third straight scoreless inning, but Lasell answered Kenyon's big inning with their own scoring outburst. Canning was a pitch away from a nine-pitch frame, but the Lasers kept the line moving thanks to an error, turning it into a 31-pitch inning.
After what should have been the final out, four straight Lasell batters reached safely on three singles and a walk. Canning did well to limit the damage and stranded two Lasers runners, but Lasell pulled within two thanks to three unearned runs.
After the momentum shift, Meister helped the Owls get the momentum back with an RBI single in the fourth. From there on, it was all Kenyon.
Defensively, Lewis Cropper came and compiled four outs on the mound before Jackson Niedel locked down Lasell in his season's best pitching performance. The junior limited the Lasers to just two hits over his 3.2 scoreless innings and notched five strikeouts. Neidel (1-0) also earned the win for his efforts. Edwin Groff got the final three outs on the mound as the three Owls relievers combined for six scoreless innings. Lasell had 10 hits overall, but Kenyon kept most of the runners on base as the Lasers left 15 runners on the bases.
Offensively, Groff batted in a run in the sixth and eighth innings, sandwiching a Meister score on a wild pitch. Kenyon kept its foot on the gas in the ninth inning, adding three runs in the final frame thanks to RBIs from Tyler Nee, Robbie Coates, and Rosen.
Kenyon (5-7) has one outing left on the team's 13-game spring break slate. The Owls get back to work tomorrow morning, March 14, as the team will take on Thiel College at 10 a.m.
