Big Red defeats Kenyon College in Softball

GRANVILLE, Ohio – The Kenyon College softball team traveled to Denison University for the final road contest of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) regular season slate. 

The Big Red scored early and often and never let the Owls get going, dropping the first contest 8-2 before falling 9-0 in the second game in five innings. 

Over the first two innings of game one, Denison jumped out to a 5-0 lead. Kylie Hamm got the start for Kenyon and pitched four innings and gave up 10 hits, two walks, and six runs. 

The Owls got on the board in the third inning as Allison McCutchen and Maddie Friday each singled to get on base, with Friday advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt. After Natalya Delsante struck out on the next at-bat, the ball slipped by the Big Red catcher, allowing Friday to come home on some smart baserunning. 

Keala Montgomery singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch to start the fourth, and Brooke Avila ripped a double to left center field to bring her home and give Kenyon its second run of the day, cutting the deficit to 5-2. 

Unfortunately, that would be the Owls’ best offensive chance of the game, as Denison scored three more times in the final three innings to go ahead 8-2. 

In game two, Montgomery singled and stole second to start a one-woman two out rally in the bottom of the first, but she did not get any farther, and Kenyon again had to play from behind, as the Big Red scored four runs in the first two innings to go up 4-0. 

Celia Torino led off the top of the third with a walk, and advanced all the way to third by way of a Jalomo single, but the Owls could not cash in on what would be the team’s best scoring opportunity of game two. The Big Red came back to score two more in the bottom of the third, setting the score at 6-0. 

Jillian Messinger threw 74 pitches and struck out two in the start, but it was not enough to stop the Denison offense, who fired three more runs in the bottom of the fifth to take the second game 9-0. 

Kenyon drops to 14-20 on the season and 1-11 in the NCAC. The Owls will close the season with two home doubleheaders, the first taking place on Tuesday, April 30 where the team will play a pair against Earlham College starting at 3:30 pm from the Kenyon Softball Complex.