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FORT MYERS, Fla. – Junior Luke Alventosa went the distance on the mound to help lead the Swarthmore College baseball team to a 4-3 victory over Kenyon in the second game of a doubleheader on Sunday, March 9 at PDC Field. The Lords rallied from a five-run deficit to capture the first game by a 7-6 score and earn the split.

In the nightcap, Swarthmore plated one run in each of the first two innings. A sacrifice fly by senior Nicko Burnett that scored sophomore John Lim put the Garnet on the board in the top of the first before Cody Ruben doubled the lead with an RBI single to send home junior Trevor Shepherd, who singled and stole second to move into scoring position earlier in the second frame.

Despite surrendering two early runs, Kenyon (6-3) rallied like they did in the opener and took a 3-2 lead by pushing across two runs in the bottom of the second and another in the third. Sophomore John Nahra and freshman Jono Chafe each drove in a run to tie up the score before an RBI single to center by Kyle Hardacker gave the Lords a one-run lead.

But Swarthmore came back with a strong sixth inning to regain the lead for good. Shepherd singled to right to knot the score, and Danny McMahon scored on a sacrifice fly to center by freshman Wesley Fishburn that made it 4-3 in favor of the Garnet. Alventosa then pitched two more shutout frames to keep the Lords at Bay, capping the afternoon by inducing a double play to end the game.

Swarthmore's Alventosa picked up the victory and improved to 1-0 by throwing a complete game. He surrendered seven hits and three runs, which were all earned, while fanning three and walking two. Paul Henshaw suffered the loss and fell to 1-1 by giving up nine hits and four runs that were all earned in 5.2 innings of work.

Kenyon got on the board first In the opener by plating one run in the top of the second, but Swarthmore responded with six runs on six hits in the bottom half of the frame to take a five-run lead. Fishburn, who started the big inning with a one-out single to right, scored the first run on a throwing error by Kenyon first baseman Sam Gillespie that was started by a Nick Constantino bunt single to the pitcher.

The Garnet continued a streak of scattering four consecutive hits and took their first lead on a single by freshman Ryan Burnett to score junior Brian Kaissi, who reached base on a fielder's choice. Sophomore John Lim broke the game open with a two-run double down the right field line, and junior Scoop Ruxin followed with a double to right center before coming home to make it 6-1 on a fielding error by Gillespie at first base.

Kenyon, however, took advantage of several Garnet defensive miscues to come back and tie the game by scoring four times in the fourth and once in the fifth. After two consecutive hits that placed a pair of runners in scoring position, the Lords were able to get one run home on a failed pickoff attempt, a second run to the plate on a throwing error by Garnet pitcher Joe Warren, a third on a balk by Warren and a fourth on an RBI single by Jake Dunn to climb back in it. Freshman Connor Bingham tied the game at 6-6 by driving in freshman Jono Chafe on a single in the fifth.

Swarthmore threatened to score in the bottom of sixth when pinch runner Zach Powell stole second with two outs, but Nicko Burnett flied out on a full count to keep the score tied. Kenyon was then able to plate the winning run when sophomore John Naha, who belted a leadoff double to get on base, came home from third as the result of Bingham inducing a rundown between first and second.

Matt Delbridge earned the victory for Kenyon and improved his record to 2-0 by hurling two shutout innings of relief. Thomas Morris earned his first collegiate save after pitching a scoreless seventh and striking out two. Senior Matt Bertuch, who entered the game in the fifth inning, was tagged with the loss for Swarthmore. He gave up five hits and two runs, including one earned, while striking out two and issuing two walks.

Swarthmore (1-1) continues its road trip in Florida when it plays a doubleheader against Defiance beginning tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.