GAMBIER, Ohio – The Kenyon College baseball team closed out its 2026 campaign Saturday afternoon, dropping a North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader to Oberlin College at McBride Field. The Owls fell 4-2 in the opener before coming up just short in a 5-4 battle in game two.
With the losses, Kenyon wraps up its season at 14-23 overall and 3-13 in NCAC play, while the Yeomen improve to 18-19-2 overall and 5-9-1 in conference action.
Game one opened with early promise for the Owls, as
Tyler Nee jumpstarted the offense with a leadoff triple before
Otto McDill brought him home on a sacrifice fly. KC carried that 1-0 edge into the third inning before Oberlin capitalized on a pair of defensive miscues, plating two unearned runs to flip the momentum. The Yeomen added insurance in the fifth with a two-run single, stretching the lead to 4-1. Kenyon scratched across a run in the ninth on
Zack Webber's RBI groundout, but the late push fell short in a 4-2 final.
On the mound, Calvin Burkholder (3-4) earned the win for Oberlin after tossing eight strong innings, while
Theo Canning (2-4) was tagged with the loss for Kenyon.
Game two delivered far more drama, with the Owls breaking through in the fifth inning. Trailing 1-0, KC erupted for three runs, highlighted by Webber's clutch two-RBI single to give the Owls a 3-1 advantage. However, Oberlin responded in the seventh, taking advantage of defensive miscues to plate three runs and reclaim a 4-3 lead before tacking on another in the eighth. Kenyon threatened late, as
Parker Ellis ripped a triple in the ninth and later scored on a groundout, but the tying run never crossed as the Owls fell 5-4.
At the plate, Nee paced the Owls across the twin bill, going 5-for-9 with a triple, double, and two runs scored, including a three-hit performance in game two .
Gio Giuliani added a strong showing, tallying three hits and reaching base multiple times, while
Ben Zimmerman chipped in two hits in the nightcap. Webber delivered with three RBIs over the doubleheader, including the go-ahead knock in game two .
In the nightcap, Jameson Bryant (3-2) picked up the win for the Yeomen, while
Peyton Hodges (2-3) took the loss. Santiago Serrano secured the save after closing out the final two innings
