Raleigh, North Carolina – Traveling to the coastal plains to open their season at the Grand Slam Triangle Classic, the Oberlin College softball team went 0-2 against North Carolina Wesleyan (9-1) and Mary Washington (3-2).
 
In game one, rookie hurler Sophie Stone earned the start in the circle. The first-year went two innings where she earned a pair of runs and recorded three strikeouts. To begin the third inning, Olivia Bey came in for relief, closing the game with one earned run through 36 pitches.
 
The bats struggled against the Battling Bishops, recording just four hits and one run. Ava Soldo led the team with two hits, highlighted by a hit in the fifth that became the lone run scored by Oberlin. Pinch running for the rookie catcher, Olivia Gonzalez was brought in after Roxie Freifeld singled through the right side.
 
NCWU jumped out to an early lead, scoring a trio of runs in the opening inning. The Battling Bishops paced their way to a nine-run lead before the Yeowomen got on the board in the top of the fifth. By rule, the game ended after North Carolina Wesleyan had more than an eight-run lead through five innings.
 
With just an hour to regroup and reset, Oberlin crossed the ballpark to take on their next opponent in Mary Washington. Hailey Alspach pitched for all six innings in the circle, collecting three strikeouts and earning just one run.
 
The Eagles capitalized on a throwing error by the Crimson and Gold infield to score the first run of the game in the second inning. In the next outing for the Eagles, UMW added another run after Hannah Steele benefitted from a sacrifice bunt and a well-placed hit up the middle.
 
Down 2-0, Oberlin got on the board after Maya Means put the ball between third and second, to bring Roam Redington to home plate. The bats remained hot with Bey hitting a bomb deep into center field that brought Gonzalez around the bases. In the top of the seventh, Bey advanced to third behind a passed ball. Wren Norris stepped up to the plate, just one hit away from the equalizer. The second-year popped the ball up into the right field, but the OF covered ground to make the catch and secure the win for the Eagles.
 
With plenty to take away, the Crimson and Gold waste no time dwelling and return to the diamond tomorrow, March 8 for another pair of games. First, the Yeowomen will Eastern Mennonite at 12 p.m., then will play Randolph at 5 p.m. to finish their run at the Grand Slam Triangle Classic.
 
Fans can keep up with their favorite teams on Instagram, Facebook, X, or TikTok, and watch all the home matches live online. The Crimson and Gold's home broadcasts can be accessed on TV through the official Oberlin College Sports Network app on Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV.