Auburndale, FL – The Oberlin College baseball team ended its Florida road trip in dramatic fashion, walking off with an 8-7 victory in the bottom of the ninth courtesy of a
Jake Freed single on a unseasonably cold Sunday morning in Auburndale, Florida.
Oberlin led 6-3 heading into the top of the ninth, seeking to finish off their third win of the year but the Chargers rallied for four runs in the frame to take a 7-6 lead. A walk and hit batter to start the proceedings set the table for the big inning and Brian Coburn would belt a three-run triple to center to tie it before Harrison Madagan put them out in front on a sac fly.
However, all is well that ends well, as the Yeomen answered back in the bottom of the ninth to head home happy. The first three Oberlin hitters all reached on a free pass as two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases for Freed, who promptly came through with his second-career walk-off winner by sending a ball into center to score
Ryan Kaestle and
Kyle Grassl.
Freed finished 3-for-5 with four RBIs and a run scored.
Max Anastasio,
Jake Blozy and
Chris Wolfe also had two hits apiece in the triumph.
Junior right-hander
Justin Fuls was simply sensational on the bump as he racked up 10 punchouts while surrendering just one run and one hit through the front five innings.
Oberlin trailed 1-0 heading into the third until Blozy came through with a clutch two-out single back up the box that sent
Nicolas Rosa-Palermo across the dish to even the count.
The Yeomen put Fuls in line for his second win of the year, taking control of the game with a five-run fifth, but unfortunately, he had to settle for the no-decision. Wolfe got the party going with a triple to the gap in right center and would later trot home on a single through the left side by Rosa-Palermo.
Joe Strabley and
Yianni Gardner also had run-producing hits in the inning, but the big blow came courtesy of Freed as he short-hopped the wall in right center for a two-run triple that plated Grassl and Strabley.
The Chargers trimmed the five-run deficit down to three with two in the eighth before taking the lead in the ninth only to see it slip away in the end.
Freshman right-hander
Leo Rochman recorded all three outs in the ninth to earn his first win. Southpaw
William Kennedy was also impressive out of the Yeomen bullpen once again, allowing just two hits while striking out four in three innings of work.
The Yeomen (3-3) will welcome Muskingum University to town for their home opener on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.
