Kenyon’s softball team played its final home games of the 2023 season after Wednesday’s double header against Hiram College. Although the Owls have been battered by a 1-29 record (0-12 NCAC), the last home games of the year offered the players the opportunity to honor a long season’s worth of practice and hard work. 

The Owls faced Denison University on Sunday, falling 15-8 in the first game and losing 11-0 in the second after the run (mercy) rule. On Wednesday, they fell 9-0 to Hiram College before dropping the second game 13-3. Over the course of these four games, the team’s young talent led the Owls in runs scored: Arianna Jalomo ’26 had four, Maeve McLaughlin ’26 three and Madison Buckwalter ’26 two. 

Despite the team’s current losing record, many of the older players were able to reminisce about the cherished triumphs they have had on the Kenyon Softball Complex in the past. “My favorite memory of playing at home was when we beat Hiram on Senior Day in 2021,” Samantha Goldenson ’23 wrote in an email to the Collegian. “That was our first win of the season, so it was a really special moment where it felt like all of our hard work had finally paid off.” 

The College’s home diamond also holds sentimental value because it is where the team has grown closer after hours of hard work. “Thinking back to my first Kenyon softball practice ever and even the first practice of this season, I am so impressed and proud of the hard work our team has put in,” Goldenson said. “One of the most meaningful parts of being a part of the team has been the connections that I’ve formed with my teammates and coaches.” 

The Owls’ will play their next games this Friday in a doubleheader against Capital University.