Softball Improving Despite Record
BY ZACHARY PRETZER

The Oberlin softball team has played 13 games this season without a win, but their four most recent games showed the most improvement the team has made all season.

(photo by Jen Arffmann)

The Yeowomen traveled to Wittenberg University on April 14 and hosted Allegheny College on Wednesday. Against Wittenberg, Oberlin lost by scores of 9-1 and 14-6, and the Yeowomen fell to Allegheny by scores of 6-0 and 24-0.
On Saturday, the team played the best they have all season in the second game against the Wittenberg Tigers. Although they lost 14-6, Oberlin scored six runs in the second inning to take a quick 6-3 lead — the largest lead the Yeowomen had held all season.
The catalyst of the six-run inning was senior Sarah Breon, who led off with a walk. The Yeowomen’s pitcher in the game, senior Heather Barbee, and sophomore outfielder Anna Roseberry then followed with walks of their own, and consequently loaded the bases for sophomore third baseman Amy Golladay. Golladay responded with a RBI single, scoring Breon and bringing up junior outfielder Ann Frizzell. Frizzell reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Barbee. 
Sophomore shortstop Maria Balducci walked, and then senior Dawn Sweeney responded by hitting a shot to the shortstop, who booted the ball and allowed Frizzell and Golladay to score, making the score 4-0 in favor of the Yeowomen in the top of the second inning. Junior catcher Jessica Marish finished off the scoring in the big inning by hitting another ball to the shortstop, who made an error that scored Sweeney and Balducci.
Oberlin’s 6-0 lead quickly evaporated after Wittenberg racked up innings of three and five runs, and the Tigers continued to score six more runs soon after to close out the 14-6 victory.
About the team’s play, Head Coach Jane Wildman said, “I think it was the best doubleheader we played all year. When they started coming back, we lost our rhythm a little bit, but I think this showed that when we play our best we can stick with the best teams in the conference.”
In the first game of the Wittenberg doubleheader, the offense was led by Balducci, who went two for two with a run scored. Barbee provided the only other hit by the Yeowomen, which scored Balducci in the first inning. From the mound, Sweeney pitched strongly for five innings, surrendering five earned runs on eight hits. However, the offense couldn’t put together a rally like they had in the nightcap, as they fell 9-1 to the Tigers.
Against Allegheny on Tuesday, the Oberlin defense rose to the occasion in the first game as the doubleheader, and Sweeney pitched another excellent game. She threw all seven innings in the game, yielding only three earned runs on 10 hits. In addition, she struck out five batters and walked only two. It was the offense however, that was a step behind again as Oberlin only managed to muster three hits in the contest.
“I thought we played really well defensively and definitely surprised Allegheny by our play,” Wildman said. “At this point, we just need to look at the little accomplishments and play as competitively as possible.”
The Yeowomen lost the first game to Allegheny by a fairly close score of 6-0, but the nightcap was quite a different story. As well as the Oberlin defense played in the first game, Allegheny’s offense responded more than equally in the second contest as they pounded out 24 hits and scored 21 runs in five innings of play. Roseberry led the Oberlin offense with two of the team’s three hits, and Sweeney chipped in another. The 21-0 loss dropped the Yeowomen’s record to 0-13 on the season, and 0-8 in the North Coast Athletic Conference.

On the season, Sweeney is leading the offense with eight hits, four runs scored and a .276 batting average. Barbee is second on the team with five hits and a .263 batting average, while Balducci has climbed up to a .233 average and leads the team with four walks as well.

The team has several games scheduled in the upcoming week, as they travel to Wooster on Saturday in doubleheader action, and return home Monday and Tuesday to take on Lake Erie College and Ohio Wesleyan University, respectively. Both home games will begin at 3:30 p.m.