The Dominican University baseball team opened a 6-0 lead through 4.5 innings before hanging on for a 7-5 win, the third in a row for the Stars.  Austin Michals  picked up the win, tossing 1.1 innings out of the pen, not surrendering a hit while striking out two, while Colin Janison picked up the save, throwing a 1-2-3 ninth in his first relief appearance of the season.
 
Joe Kukla was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the third for Dominican.  After a single by Matt Segovia, Colin Janison laid down a sacrifice bunt that the Lords threw away, allowing Kukla to come across for the game's first tally with Segovia and Janison stopping at second and third.  Frankie Sessa followed with a two-run double to right-center, putting the Stars up 3-0 in the middle of the third.
 
Dominican added a run in the top of the fourth when Segovia doubled to left, plating Nathaniel Natividad who led off the frame with a single, one of five hits on the day for the senior.
 
In the top of the fifth, the Stars added two more, pushing across runs on a ground ball by Mike Piotrowski that scored Janison.  Natividad later singled to left, plating Piotrowski.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Kenyon cut the Dominican lead in half, chasing Dominican's Noah Loeffler from the game, stringing together five hits in the inning.
 
Sessa tacked on another run for the Stars in the top of the sixth, pushing across Segovia with a two-out single.
 
The Lords again responded, cutting the Stars' lead in half with two runs in the bottom of the seventh, chasing Kanoa Ikeda-Flynn from the game before #Austin Michals ended the threat, striking out Trenton DiFilippo with runners on first and second for the final out of the inning.
 
Michals went on to work a perfect eighth before turning the game over to Janison.
 
The Stars outhit the Lords, 15-9.  Natividad was a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored while Sessa and Segovia picked up three hits apiece.  Sessa added three RBIs while Segovia drove in a run and scored two.
 
Loeffler lasted 4.2 innings in his first start of the season, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk.  Michals improves to 2-0 on the 2018 season, picking up the wins in Dominican's last two games.
 
"Today was a battle," said Steve Hardman, Dominican's head coach. "We went up early and Kenyon fought back. Loeffler gave us everything he had for four-plus innings until they finally got to him. Our bullpen also battled and secured the win for us. Those are games we have to be in and win to be ready for conference. Offensively, Sessa continues to swing a hot bat and Nate was a spark plug at the bottom of the order."
 
The Stars, now 5-3 on the season, will take on the University of Northwestern Eagles in a doubleheader on Friday before closing out their Spring Trip to Fort Pierce, Florida, on Saturday against the Muskingum Fighting Muskies.  Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 10:00 a.m.