Oberlin, Ohio – It was a tale of two games for the Oberlin College baseball team as it opened the season with a split against the visiting Hilbert College Hawks on Friday afternoon at Dill Field. The Yeomen, who were playing for the first time in 391 days, won the first game 14-5 before dropping the nightcap 10-0.
 
It was an impressive debut for freshman Jake Freed as he went 5-of-7 with three RBIs. Junior David Fineman added four hits and classmate John Schooner chipped in with three.
 
After a tough first inning in the lid-lifter that saw Hilbert post three runs, junior right-hander Ian Ashby settled in to earn his second-career win on the bump as he got through five innings, allowing just six hits.
 
The Yeomen would go out in front in the bottom of the second with four runs in the inning. A Hilbert error allowed the first run to come across and Fineman would follow with a run-scoring single through the right side that sent Drew Packs across the dish. Ashby, who drove in four in the game, delivered the big blow with a two-run double down the left field line to stake himself and the Yeomen the lead.
 
Oberlin would tack on three more in the third as rookie Joe Strabley, Freed, and Fineman each drove in a run to extend the lead out to 7-3.
 
After Hilbert got one back in the fourth, the Yeomen would put the finishing touches on the victory as they erupted for seven runs on seven hits to leave no doubt in the eventual outcome. After an RBI single by Schooner, Packs laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to make it 9-3. Freed, would follow with a two-run single, and great base running by the Yeomen on a failed double played attempt resulted in two more runs coming across for Oberlin.
 
After Ashby departed, Ben Borzekowski worked a clean sixth and rookie Luigi Smarro struck out three in the seventh to complete the victory.
 
In the nightcap, Freed and Fineman accounted for four of the team's six hits but Oberlin couldn't string anything together.
 
Senior Kotaro Kajita cruised through the front two innings but ran into trouble in the third as the Hawks touched him up for five runs.
 
The Yeomen defense also struggled in the nightcap, committing four errors, which allowed Hawks to extend their lead and never look back.
 
Hilbert heads back to New York at 3-5 while the Yeomen are 1-1.
 
Oberlin is back in action on Tuesday, April 6 against Allegheny College. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 2 p.m.