Oberlin, Ohio - The Oberlin College softball team battled through wild weather to earn a split with the visiting Bluffton University Beavers on Sunday afternoon at Culhane Field. The Yeowomen fought through periods of snow, hail, rain, and high winds to win game one 1-0 but lost the nightcap in five innings, 10-1.
Sophomore pitcher
Hailey Alspach (1-2) was dominant in the lid-lifter, needing just 87 pitches in the complete-game victory as she struck out eight and walked just one while allowing only three hits to the Beavers. The performance marked the 11th complete game of her career and was her sixth victory in the Crimson & Gold.
Alspach's counterpart Hailey Lewis (0-5) was also impressive in keeping the Oberlin hitters at bay but was ultimately the tough-luck loser after giving up six hits to go along with one walk and one hit batter.
Oberlin threatened in the first inning as rookie
Samantha Pinedo led off the game with a single but a couple of fielder's choice groundouts resulted in all three outs taking place at home plate.
The lone run of the game would come in the fifth inning as
Wren Norris poked a two-out single and would later steal second to move into scoring position. Pinedo would deliver in the clutch, dumping a single into left field, which allowed Norris to come across the dish. Pinedo later tried to score on a wild pitch but was retired at the plate.
Alspach worked around a one-out error in the sixth and a leadoff walk in the seventh to finish off the first win of the year for the Yeowomen.
Oberlin had six hits in the game courtesy of Pinedo (2),
Loren Carter,
Mia Brito, Roxie Frifeld, and Norris.
Unfortunately, the tables were turned in game two as the senior
Katie Austin (0-3) did not have her best stuff inside the circle and she didn't get much help from her defense behind her either as Oberlin committed a season-high five errors.
Austin lasted just 2.1 innings after getting touched up for seven runs but just three were earned. The senior from San Diego, California, surrendered six hits, two walks, and a hit batter.
Bluffton scored at least one run in each of the five innings of action, however, just four of their 10 tallies were earned.
The lone Oberlin run of the game came in the third when Cater sent one right back up the box to score Friefeld while collecting her third RBI of the year.
Oberlin had six hits in the loss with two coming courtesy of Frifeld.
Oberlin is back in action on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader set to take place at Capital University.
