The Oberlin Yeomen baseball season finally got underway after its first two games were postponed due to poor weather. With hopes of a big season ahead that includes improving on their record of 12-24 last season, Oberlin opened with a game against Notre Dame College.

Oberlin played three games against Notre Dame, a double-header at Notre Dame and then Oberlin’s home opener to finish the three-game series. Oberlin won all three by a combined score of 25-12.

Senior starter Steve Solomon won the first game of the season with a complete game, giving up two runs and striking out six. The Yeomen won the second game with two runs in the top of the seventh, both coming with two outs in the inning. Oberlin’s offense carried them in the third game with 13 runners crossing the plate.

After the initial series against Notre Dame, Oberlin traveled to Florida for spring break to play ten games. Oberlin faced stiff competition in Florida, managing only two wins to bring their overall record to 5-7. Even with the disappointing record in Florida, the trip helped the Yeomen.

“We had a great time on the Florida trip, though it was slightly disappointing for us,” said junior pitcher Jaremy Rich “It was a good experience for everybody, and everyone got at least a little playing time.”

After leaving Florida, Oberlin played four games in two days at Hiram College, splitting the series. First-year Jeremy Simon and Rich got the wins, with first-year P.J. Carter notching his first save of the season.

On Wednesday, April 5, Oberlin traveled to Case Western Reserve University and had a tough game, narrowly losing 9-8. Oberlin fell behind early by scores of 6-0 and 8-2 but battled back to tie the game in the eighth.

In the seventh, Oberlin scored four runs, aided by a Case Western error, to come back within a run. Senior second baseman Nick Broughton tied the game with an RBI single in the top half of the eighth, only to see Case Western score the go-ahead run in the bottom half of the inning.

Oberlin could not mount a comeback in the ninth and ended up losing despite their strong efforts. It was the second time in as many games that Oberlin lost by one run.

“The bad news is that those are all lost opportunities that we can’t get back now,” said Rich. “I believe that at the level we’re playing at, we’re still very capable of having a spectacular season.  We just have to do the little things — finish off games, make the plays, get those clutch hits.”

Oberlin’s record stands at 7-11 and 2-6 in the NCAC. The Yeomen will look to put all the little things together this weekend as they travel to Allegheny College to play four games. The Yeomen play their next home game at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12 against Case Western.