Rally falls short, Owls open with pair of losses

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Trailing 5-1 in Sunday’s season-opening game at North Myrtle Beach Park, the Kenyon College softball team rallied for three runs in the final two innings, but came up just short in a 5-4 loss to Wilson College. In the second game of the day, Delaware Valley University unleashed an offense that amassed 11 hits and hung a 9-1 loss on the Owls.

Kenyon got off to a bit of a shaky start, as Wilson got to first-year starting pitcher Kylie Hamm for a run in the first inning and three more in the second. To her credit, though, Hamm finished off her final four innings by allowing just one more run on one hit. In all, she yielded just six hits and three earned runs to Wilson.

After the Phoenix scored one in the bottom of the first, Kenyon responded with a solo home run to center field from sophomore Madison Buckwalter. 

The Owls, who had 10 hits throughout the game, went silent over the next three innings and started the sixth with a 5-1 deficit.

Wilson (3-0) sent out relief pitcher Paige Dill to replace starter Rylee Piper. Maeve McLaughlin and Buckwalter then opened the frame for Kenyon with back-to-back singles and then both stole a base to put runners on second and third with no outs. A strike out and a walk loaded the bases and gave Amanda Harris the opportunity to sacrifice McLaughlin home before the inning ended.

Now trailing by three in the top of the seventh, Kenyon bats went to work again. Benefitting from a lead-off error, Kenyon got Keala Montgomery aboard and she later came around to score on a Natalya Delsante single. Two batters later, Buckwalter sacrificed Delsante home, but that would be the end of the line for the Owls.

In game two, Delaware Valley (2-0) overpowered Kenyon. The Aggies were held scoreless in the first inning, but then erupted for nine runs over the next four innings to put the run-rule into play, ending the game early.

Delaware Valley pitcher Kenzie Boyd held the Owls to just one run on five hits. That one run was scored in the third inning, when first-year Brooke Avila singled and came around to tap the plate after a double from Arianna Jalomo.

Overall, Buckwalter was 4-for-5 on the day with two RBI and a run scored. Jalomo was 3-for-7 with an RBI and both McLaughlin and Delsante were 2-for-6 with a run scored.

The Owls (0-2) will get right back at it tomorrow as they face Norwich University at 11 am and then Wilkes University at 1 p.m.