FORT PIERCE, Fla. – The Owls carried their early-season momentum south and opened their spring break slate with a doubleheader sweep of Wilkes University at the Lawnwood Complex on Sunday afternoon.
Kenyon claimed a 5-4 victory in the seven-inning opener before rallying for a 10-8 extra-inning win in game two. With the sweep, the Owls improved to 5-0 on the season, while Wilkes fell to 1-3 overall.
Game one featured timely hitting and late-inning composure from Kenyon. After two scoreless frames, the Owls broke through in the third inning. Ben Zimmerman reached on an error to spark the rally, and Gio Giuliani delivered an RBI double to right field to open the scoring. Niko Price was hit by a pitch to extend the inning, and Owen McDill reached on an error that brought home another run. Ben Resnick followed with an RBI after being hit by a pitch, and Matt Ardell added a sacrifice fly to cap a four-run inning and give Kenyon a 4-0 lead.
Wilkes responded with two runs in the fifth and tied the game in the sixth, but the Owls manufactured the decisive run in the bottom of the seventh. Giuliani worked a leadoff walk, advanced into scoring position, and eventually crossed the plate on a wild pitch to seal the 5-4 win.
Kenyon finished with five hits in the opener, with Moss and Nee each recording a hit while Giuliani's RBI double provided the spark in the third. Price added a hit and reached base twice, and Ardell drove in a run with his sacrifice fly. The Owls were patient at the plate, drawing five walks and capitalizing on two Wilkes errors to manufacture their five runs.
On the mound, Theo Canning struck out five over 4.1 innings, while Peyton Hodges, Jack Briscoe, and Jack Enger combined in relief. Enger earned the win after tossing 1.1 scoreless innings to close out the contest.
The second game proved even more dramatic. Kenyon erupted for five runs in the third inning, highlighted by a two-RBI single from Price and a two-run single from McDill. Ardell added an RBI knock as the Owls jumped out to a 5-0 advantage. Wilkes answered with a three-run third inning and eventually surged ahead 8-6 after pushing across runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth.
Facing a late deficit, the Owls showed patience in the seventh inning. Walks loaded the bases before Ardell and Resnick each drew RBI walks to tie the game at 8-8. In the eighth inning, Moss walked and Nee was hit by a pitch to set the stage for McDill, who delivered the biggest swing of the day, a two-RBI triple to right field that gave Kenyon a 10-8 lead. The bullpen shut the door in the bottom half to secure the sweep.
Kenyon tallied nine hits in game two, led by McDill's 3-for-4 performance that included a double, a triple, five RBIs, and two runs scored. Price added two hits and two RBIs, while Giuliani scored twice. On the mound, five Owls combined to limit damage late, with Jacson Niedel earning the win after firing two scoreless innings and allowing no hits. Dylan Ritzenthaler tallied the most strikeouts with four in 2.2 innings .
Up next for the Owls, a quick trip to Vero Beach, Florida, as they face in-state foe Capital University in a doubleheader. The matchup marks Kenyon's only games in Vero Beach during the spring break slate, with first pitch set for 11 a.m.
