FORT PIERCE, Fla. – The Kenyon College baseball team returned to the diamond at Lawnwood Complex Field on Wednesday morning and delivered a dominant performance, defeating Earlham College 12–1 in game 11 of their 13-game spring break slate. The victory marked the first meeting between the two programs since 2019 and pushed the Owls to 8-6 overall on the season, while the Quakers fell to 4-6.
After a quiet opening inning for both sides, Kenyon struck first in the second. Otto McDill opened the frame with a single before Ben Resnick followed with a base hit to put runners on the deck. Matt Ardell then drew a walk to load the bases, setting the stage for Colbie Corpuz, who lined a single to left field to bring home McDill. Moments later, Trey Kent-Landrum lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Resnick and giving the Owls an early 2-nil advantage.
Kenyon added another run in the third inning thanks to the long ball. McDill stepped to the plate and launched his first collegiate home run, a solo shot that extended the Owls' lead to three runs. Earlham answered in the bottom half of the fourth, as Austin Dick reached on a bunt single and later came around to score on Mitchell Roether's RBI single to left, trimming the deficit to 3-1.
The Owls broke the game open in the sixth inning with a four-run surge. Ardell sparked the rally with a single, and after Ben Zimmerman and Tyler Nee connected for base hits, Nee drove in a run with an RBI single. Aaron Moss followed with a run-scoring hit of his own before Niko Price delivered the biggest swing of the frame, lining a two-run single to center that pushed the good guys to 7-1.
Kenyon continued to pile on in the seventh. Ardell again started the inning with a base hit before Corpuz and Kent-Landrum reached to load the bases. Zimmerman then ripped a two-run double to left field, and later in the inning Price added another run-producing play with a sacrifice fly to make it 10-1. The Owls capped their scoring in the eighth inning when Zimmerman drew a bases-loaded walk and Nee added a sacrifice fly, extending the lead to the final margin of 12-1.
At the plate, Kenyon totaled 14 hits in the victory. Zimmerman led the way with two hits and three RBIs, while Price also drove in three runs. McDill finished 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored. Corpuz, Kent-Landrum, and Moss each contributed with hits and one RBI each.
On the mound, Griffin Jackson earned the win for Kenyon, improving to 1-0 on the season after tossing five innings. Jackson allowed just four hits and one earned run while striking out four. Dylan Ritzenthaler followed with 1.1 innings of relief, striking out two batters, and Jackson Niedel closed out the contest with 1.2 scoreless frames while recording three strikeouts to secure the victory.
Up next, the Owls will conclude their spring break schedule with two remaining games in Fort Pierce as they continue their 13-game slate in Florida, facing Thiel College in a doubleheader showdown. First pitch is set for 10:00 a.m.
