Sam Richards notched a pair of wins to help the Kenyon College baseball team take three of four from Hiram in North Coast Athletic Conference play over the weekend.
Richards struck out eight batters and allowed one earned run over a complete-game seven innings as the Lords defeated the Terriers 6-1 to complete a doubleheader sweep on Sunday, April 11, in Hiram.
Richards came out of the bullpen to retire all four batters he faced to get the win in Kenyon’s 2-1 victory over Hiram in seven innings to earn a split of a doubleheader on Saturday, April 10, in Gambier.
His efforts earned him NCAC Pitcher of the Week. The two wins were the first of his collegiate career.
Ayden Head’s single in the sixth inning scored Kyle Dwyer for what turned out to be the game-winner in Saturday’s nightcap.
Zach Elsawy worked the front 5 2/3 innings, allowing an earned run on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
Zach Frizzera went the distance as the Lords routed Hiram 10-1 in seven innings to open play on Sunday. He allowed one earned run on four hits and three walks and struck out six.
Head hit a two-run homer as part of a three-run first inning to give Kenyon all the runs it needed in Sunday’s first game. Will Sturgeon also homered, one of two hits he had to lead the way.
The Terriers opened the weekend with a seven-run rally in the sixth inning to race past Kenyon 7-4.
Curtis Caithami provided the go-ahead hit, a two-run single to give Hiram a 6-4 lead.
Sturgeon and Andrew Rabinowitz each homered, both of them two-run shots that staked the Lords to a 4-0 lead.
MEN’S GOLF
Nick Lust shot a 3-under-par 69 to lead Kenyon to a 305-355 victory at Hiram on Saturday, April 10, at Sugar Bush Golf Club in Garrettsville.
Ethan Manalo (75) and Lawrence Courtney (76) finished second and third, respectively, for the Lords in the nine-player round.
Logan Spies (85) and Ethan Shapiro (90) rounded out the scorers for Kenyon.
Reece Zeigler shot an 84 to lead the host Terriers.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Daria Beshentseva and Kayla Pukys each won singles matches and then were part of a pair of doubles wins to lead Kenyon to a 6-3 victory at Denison on Saturday, April 10, in Granville.
Beshentseva defeated Alex Cash 6-2, 6-0 in second singles action after teaming with Erika Oku to beat Cash and Hannah Cianciola 8-2 in doubles play.
Beshentseva was selected NCAC Athlete of the Week after Saturday's performance.
Pukys beat Cianciola 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in fourth singles play after teaming with Erika Pontillo to defeat Monique Brual and Devin Gramley 8-4 in the third doubles match.
Victoria Vasquez defeated Sarah Robertson 6-0, 6-2 and Ilana Blackwood beat Monique Brual 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to round out the victories for the Ladies.
Sydney Cianciola knocked off Oku in first singles action 7-6 (7-3), 1-6, 7-5 and teamed with Robertson to beat Blackwood and Vasquez 8-7 (8-6) in doubles play. Gramley defeated Anna Winslow 6-4, 6-1 to account for the Big Red victories.
SOFTBALL
Maddie Hyland hit an RBI single to give Kenyon a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning, but host Hiram rallied for two runs in the bottom half to complete a four-game sweep in NCAC play over the weekend.
Lexa Avalos and Kaitlyn Hager each had RBI singles in the fifth to lift the Terriers to a 3-2 win on Sunday, April 11, in Hiram.
Bella Albrecht had two hits — both doubles — to pace the Ladies (0-6, 0-4).
Giselle Bahena hit an RBI triple and Mariah Sheffield followed with a two-run homer to jump-start Hiram in the first inning, and the Terriers (12-9, 7-1) went on to beat Kenyon 4-0 to open play on Sunday.
Claire McMahon had two hits including a three-run double in the second inning to pull the Ladies within 4-3. But Hiram rolled from there to a 13-3 win in seven innings to finish off a sweep of a doubleheader on Saturday, April 10, in Gambier.
Melissa Galindo was 4-for-4 with three runs and an RBI to pace the Terriers.
Sheffield drove in six runs — two on a home run in the second inning — to lead Hiram to a 10-0 win in five innings in Saturday’s opener.
MEN’S TENNIS
Kenyon’s Jack Wagner won a marathon match over Denison’s Vlad Rotnov, but the host Big Red rolled to an 8-1 victory on Sunday, April 11, in Granville.
Wagner beat Rotnov 6-4, 2-6, 10-8 to notch the only victory for the Lords (0-1) in their season-opener.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Maya Sapsford had a solid performance with 23 assists, eight digs and five aces; but Kenyon fell to DePauw 25-12, 26-24, 22-25, 25-13 to open its season on Sunday, April 11, at Tomsich Arena in Gambier.
Elyse Davidson had 11 kills, and Tara Ford and Macy Reimbold had seven kills each to lead the Ladies (0-1).
Reimbold added 14 digs and three aces, Jac Cousineau had 13 assists, Katie Howard had 16 digs and Lindsey Abramson assisted on five blocks for Kenyon, which hasn’t played since Nov. 9, 2019.
Elise Monroe had 15 kills; Jessica Levy had 12 kills, 12 digs, four aces and four assisted blocks; Lexi Carr had 15 digs and Lauren Ridgway had five assisted blocks to lead the Tigers (1-5).
