By Noah Gurzenski | Staff Writer
Looking to get back into the groove after being swept last weekend, the Kenyon baseball team hosted Oberlin College in a pair of doubleheaders this past Saturday and Sunday. Oberlin won both games on Saturday to start the series, defeating the Lords 11-1 and 10-7.
Kenyon bounced back the next day to earn their first North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) win of the year in walk-off fashion, 2-1, before falling to Oberlin 7-4 in the final game of the series.
After Oberlin took a 3-0 lead into the second inning, Sam Gillespie ’16 smacked an RBI double to right field, allowing Co-Captain Nate Lotze ’14 to score, bringing the Lords within two. Oberlin kept Kenyon’s bats silent the rest of the game, however, and used a six-run third inning to put the game out of reach for Kenyon, cruising to the 11-1 victory.
Both teams traded runs in the first inning of game two, with Tyler Roldan ’17 doubling down the right field line to score Co-Captain Jake Dunn ’15 from second base. After falling behind 10-1 in the seventh inning, Kenyon roared back with a six-run seventh to get within three, but Oberlin held on for a 10-7 victory to close out the first day of play.
Determined to avenge Saturday’s losses, Thomas Morris ’17 took the mound for the Lords in the first game on Sunday.
“Mentally, we were a little fatigued, especially after losing both games the first day,” Morris said. “The most important thing for me, because I knew I was starting in game three, was to come out prepared and ready to battle.”
While Kenyon’s offense mustered only two hits through the first six innings, Morris helped to keep the Lords in the game, allowing just five hits through seven innings.
“I was able to locate well and get ahead in the count, which left me with options,” Morris said. “That really kept the Oberlin hitters off balance.”
Down by one run, Kenyon entered the final frame of the seventh inning hoping to send the game to extras. With John Nahra ’16 on second base and Roldan on third, Gillespie grounded out, allowing Roldan to score, tying the game and sending Nahra to third. With two outs, Casey Rosenfeld ’17 came through with an RBI single to knock Nahra in for the 2-1 walk-off win.
Looking to tie up the series, Kenyon took the field for the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader. Down 4-0 late, Kenyon brought the game within one thanks to RBIs from Dunn, Kyle Hardacker ’15 and Phillip Nam ’17, but a one-run seventh and two-run eighth by Oberlin were enough to seal the 7-4 victory in the final game of the series.
Kenyon will take to the field again this Saturday, April 12 at 1 p.m. to host a doubleheader against Wittenberg University.