Granville, Ohio – The Oberlin College baseball team continued to takes its lumps in the North Coast Athletic Conference as the Big Red of Denison topped the Yeomen by the scores of 18-4 and 10-9 on Wednesday afternoon.
 
The Yeomen had their chances in both games, especially in game two as the Big Red ultimately walked-off with the win in bizarre fashion in the bottom of the ninth. With the score tied 9-9, Oberlin was trying to intentionally walk Brian McAuliffe to load the bases and setup a force at any base. However, Milo Sklar uncorked a wild pitch which allowed Vince Walker to score from third base to end the game.
 
The Yeomen offense did have one of its best days of the season, pounding out 29 hits in the twinbill, but unfortunately had no wins to show for it. Quin Butler led the way with five hits in seven at-bats, while Amari Newman, Brendan Mapes, and Lawrence Hamilton each finished with four hits.
 
The nightcap was nip-and-tuck throughout with the Yeomen taking an early 2-0 lead on a two-run blast over the wall in left field by Mapes for his fifth round-tripper of the year.
 
Oberlin was later trailing 4-2 but would retake the lead with a three-run third. Following a perfectly executed 1^st-and-3^rd double steal, Newman would deliver an RBI single and come around to score on a clutch two-out double by senior Jack Brewster to make it a 5-4 Yeomen advantage.
 
The Big Red would answer back with a pair in the bottom of the third before grabbing a 9-5 lead with three runs in the sixth. Sklar hit two men in the inning and walked another to give Grady Paine the opportunity to come through with his bases-clearing three-run triple.
 
The Yeomen wouldn't go down without a fight as they answered back with four runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game. Newman and Sklar got the rally rolling with back-to-back RBI singles before Derek Martin and Jack McGowan belted run-scoring doubles.
 
Neither team would threaten in the eighth and Oberlin would go quietly in the ninth as the Big Red stepped in for their final chance. It would start with Oberlin committing an error before a perfectly executed hit-and-run put runners on the corners. Sklar would get one out, but with two runners in scoring position the Yeomen tried to load the bases to setup a force, but the execution was not there as Denison walked-off with the win on the wild pitch.
 
The Big Red used the long ball in game one as two two-run home runs coupled with a sac fly staked them to a 5-1 lead through six innings of action.
 
After a rocky start, Yeomen southpaw starter David Gaetano settled down as he got through six-plus innings. He was ultimately chased from the game in the seventh after surrendering his third two-run homer of the game to make it a 7-1 Big Red advantage. Stephen Kellner would come in and shutdown the Big Red in the seventh to keep Oberlin in the game.
 
The Yeomen would cut into the deficit in the eighth, plating a pair of runs in the inning. The first came on a Denison miscue that allowed Sam Harris to score from third after he led off the frame with a single. Butler followed with a two-out RBI double to the gap in right center to send Mapes across the dish and put the Yeomen within striking distance.
 
However, Oberlin's bullpen continued to be a grave area of concern as the Big Red roughed up four different Oberlin relievers for 11 runs in the home-half of the eighth. Most of the damage was self-inflicted as the grouping issued seven walks before recording three outs. The free bases coupled with five hits and two Oberlin errors resulted in the disastrous inning.
 
The Yeomen would scratch out three runs in the ninth, but it was too little too late to make a difference in the ultimate outcome. Newman led off the frame with his first-career home run, while Mapes and Sklar each had run-producing hits to cap the game's scoring.
 
Oberlin actually out-hit Denison 14-13 in the game, but the Bid Red's offensive cause was aided by 10 Yeomen walks and five errors. Butler and Mapes led the Yeomen with three hits each.
 
The Yeomen return home on Saturday to host Hiram College at 12 p.m. Oberlin will honor its senior class prior to first pitch.