WOOSTER, Ohio – The Kenyon College baseball team came out swinging but couldn't sustain the early momentum, falling twice in a North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader against The College of Wooster on Saturday afternoon. The Owls grabbed an early edge in game one before slipping, 5-2, and were later overwhelmed in game two, 11-1. With the setback, Kenyon drops to 14-20 overall and 3-11 in NCAC play, while Wooster moves to 23-12 and an even 6-6 in conference action.
Kenyon wasted no time setting the tone, manufacturing two runs in the first inning.
Tyler Nee drew a leadoff walk and later scored on
Otto McDill's sacrifice fly, while
Gio Giuliani crossed the plate moments later following a Wooster miscue to give the Owls a quick 2-0 cushion. From there, though, the bats cooled and the Fighting Scots began to chip away. Wooster broke through in the third with a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and then flipped the game on its head in the fifth inning. A solo blast from Matt Herlick ignited a three-run frame, capped by Owen Sherrill's two-run double that sliced through the outfield and gave the hosts a 4-2 advantage.
The Owls had their chances late, loading the bases in the seventh and again threatening in the ninth, but timely hits proved elusive. Wooster tacked on an insurance run in the sixth via a sacrifice fly, and KC's comeback hopes fizzled as the Scots closed the door.
Aaron Moss and
Ben Zimmerman each delivered late singles to keep the pressure on, but Wooster's pitching staff held firm to secure the 5-2 decision.
Game two opened with another flash of early promise for the Owls. Nee sparked the offense with a leadoff single and eventually scored on Giuliani's RBI knock up the middle, giving Kenyon a 1-0 lead. That momentum, however, was short-lived. Wooster answered with a chaotic third inning, using a mix of clutch hitting and defensive miscues to plate three runs and seize control. The floodgates opened further in the fourth, where the Scots capitalized on errors, baserunning, and timely swings to pile on three more runs and stretch the lead to 6-1.
From there, Wooster kept its foot on the gas. A run in the fifth, followed by a two-run sixth inning highlighted by a run-scoring double and a wild pitch, pushed the margin further out of reach. The Scots added the finishing touches in the seventh with a pair of RBI hits, extending the lead to double digits. Meanwhile, Kenyon struggled to string together offense, stranding runners in key spots, The Owls were ultimately held scoreless over the final six innings as Wooster cruised to the 11-1 victory.
Across the doubleheader, Kenyon totaled 10 hits, with five in each game.
Ben Zimmerman was the Owls' most consistent bat, going a combined 3-for-7 with a double in game two.
Gio Giuliani finished 2-for-7 with two runs scored and one RBI, while
Tyler Nee went 1-for-6 with two walks and scored both of Kenyon's first-inning runs.
On the mound in game one,
Theo Canning took the loss, dropping to 1-3, after allowing four runs across 4.2 innings, while
Jackson Niedel worked the final 3.1 innings and gave up just one unearned run. In game two,
Jack Briscoe was charged with his first loss despite allowing only one earned run over three innings, and
Dylan Ritzenthaler struck out three over 2.1 innings of relief.
Chris Cannuscio pitched 0.2 innings while
Jack Enger notched 0.1.
Up next, the Owls will look to bounce back quickly as they return home for a non-conference matchup against Wilmington College on Sunday, April 26. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m.
