Berea, Ohio – The Oberlin College baseball team suffered its first loss of the season, dropping an 11-9 decision on Friday afternoon at Baldwin Wallace University.
 
The Yeomen hung tight in the early going but the Yellow Jackets erupted for three runs in each of the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings to break the game open. However, the Yeomen made things interesting late as they scored six runs in the ninth and brought the go-ahead run to the plate with just one out.
 
Senior Ian Dinsmore earned his first-career start on the mound and was solid in his new role, going 4.1 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and four walks. Control was an issue for all six Yeomen pitchers on the day as the staff surrendered 11 free bases in the contest.
 
Senior Brendan Mapes spearheaded the offense by going 2-for-4 with two doubles and four RBIs. Sophomore Lawrence Hamilton added two hits, a walk, and a run scored. Overall, Oberlin didn't have enough firepower as the lineup produced just five hits through the first eight innings and finished with nine hits in the game.
 
Oberlin plated the game's first run in the top of the first inning as Hamilton roped a two-out opposite-field double down the right field line and would later score on a BW error.
 
The Yellow Jackets answered back with single tallies in the first and third innings to claim a 2-1 cushion.
 
Dinsmore, who had four punchouts, would strikeout the side in the fourth before being lifted with one out in the fifth. The Yeomen would use three more pitchers in the inning to get the final two outs but not before BW posted three runs on the board.
 
Despite seeing the Yellow Jackets tack on six more runs to grab an 11-3 lead, the Yeomen continued to fight to the final out as they scored two in the seventh and six in the ninth.
 
In the seventh, Mapes belted a two-out two-run double to the gap in right-center to score Connor MacDowell and Ben Reed. It was the same grouping who started the rally in the ninth as MacDowell doubled and Mapes would follow with his second two-base hit to score both MacDowell and Reed to make it 11-6.
 
The Yeomen comeback bid continued as Nick Nelson drew a bases-loaded walk before fellow freshman David Fineman followed with a run-scoring single to center. Rookie Michael Anastasio would then work another bases-loaded walk to bring the go-ahead run to the plate with just one out.
 
Reed would cut the deficit down to a deuce with a run-scoring fielder's choice to leave runners on the corners. Unfortunately, the Yeomen were unable to bring the tying runs across as BW held on for the win to even its record at 5-5 on the year.
 
Jack Raines got the win in relief for BW as he fanned 12 Yeomen hitters, allowing just two unearned runs and three hits over 5.1 innings of work.
 
Oberlin (2-1) has a quick turnaround as it heads right back to Fisher Field tomorrow morning to host Defiance at 10 a.m. The Yeomen will then take on Alma College at 1 p.m.