WILMINGTON, Ohio – After a 10-day break following their spring break trip to Florida, the Kenyon College baseball team returned to action Sunday afternoon and secured an 8-1 road victory over Wilmington College. With the win, the Owls improved to 9-8 overall while the Quakers remained winless at 0-14.
Kenyon wasted little time igniting the offense. In the top of the first inning, senior Niko Price lined a single up the middle to set the table for first-year Otto McDill. The freshman center fielder continued his hot stretch at the plate, launching a two-run home run over the fence to give the Owls a quick 2-0 lead and inject early momentum into the dugout.
The Owls expanded their lead in the third inning with a great sequence. Senior Ben Zimmerman reached with a single before swiping third base to put pressure on the Wilmington defense. Junior Tyler Nee was then hit by a pitch, and Aaron Moss followed by ripping an RBI single up the middle, sending Zimmerman home. Moments later, Price lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to bring Nee home, and McDill added another RBI with a groundout to push KC ahead 5-0.
Kenyon continued to chip away offensively in the sixth. Junior Gio Giuliani worked a walk and moved into scoring position after junior Ben Resnick laced a single down the left-field line. First-year Matt Ardell then drove Giuliani home with a groundout to extend the advantage to 6-0.
The Owls added insurance in the seventh inning. After Nee reached on an error and stole second, Moss delivered again with another clutch RBI single through the middle to score Nee. Price followed with a walk, and Giuliani capped the rally with a sharp double down the left-field line, bringing Moss home and stretching the lead to 8-0.
Kenyon totaled nine hits in the contest. Moss led the way with a 2-for-5 performance and two RBIs, while Zimmerman went 2-for-4. McDill finished with three RBIs thanks to his first-inning homer, and Price contributed a hit and a sacrifice fly.
On the mound, senior Sam Howell earned the win and improved to 2-1 on the season after delivering five scoreless innings. The right-hander allowed five hits while keeping the Quakers off balance throughout the afternoon. Junior Peyton Hodges followed with 1.1 innings of relief, sophomore Jack Briscoe tossed 1.2 shutout frames, and senior Theo Canning closed out the game in the ninth.
Up next for Kenyon, the Owls return home for a six-game homestand beginning Wednesday, March 25, when they host Capital University. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
