AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Freshman Aiden Mitchell went 3-for-5 with two triples and a home run to lead a 15-hit attack and the Drew University baseball team closed out its spring break trip on a high note, downing Northland College 9-1 on the squad's final day at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational Friday morning.
 
The Rangers (6-3) finished 5-1 during their stay in the Sunshine State while winning their last five games. They batted .338 and slugged .559 with 46 runs on 46 hits over their last four games.
 
Mitchell homered for the second day in a row, and his two triples tied a school record and Landmark Conference record. The last Ranger to achieve the feat was Joe Henrikson versus Misericordia on March 31, 2004.
 
Eight of Drew's nine starters batted safely, including senior Billy Coleman, who went 2-for-4 and slugged two of the team's six doubles. Senior Nate Miller; juniors Dallas Lorenzetti and Raiden Yost; and sophomore Kyle Johnson ripped two hits apiece.
 
Sophomore Brandon Kobryn started on the mound for the Rangers and blanked the Lumberjacks over five innings. He allowed five hits and two walks while striking out five to earn the win.
 
Drew broke open a scoreless game in the third, getting an RBI-triple from Mitchell, a sacrifice fly from senior Anthony Hernandez, and a run-scoring double from Coleman that made it 3-0.
 
The Rangers stretched their lead to 6-0 after plating runs in both the fourth and fifth innings. Hernandez doubled home a run in the fourth before Coleman knocked in another run with his second straight two-bagger in the fifth.
 
Northland broke up the shutout with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the sixth, and it remained a 6-1 game into the ninth, when Lorenzetti singled in a run. Mitchell then capped his big day with a two-run blast that set the final score.
 
Senior Vincent Desantis pitched 2 2/3 innings of relief for the Rangers, allowing one run while striking out one. Freshman Tyler Bell tossed one scoreless inning, yielding one hit and striking out two, before sophomore Chris Tobia retired the only batter he faced to end the game.
 
Drew continues its season on Saturday, March 16, when it opens Landmark Conference play with a doubleheader at Wilkes University starting at noon.