Wilmore, Kentucky – The Oberlin College baseball team swept both games of an afternoon doubleheader against Asbury on Saturday. After a winless opening weekend, the Yeomen turned the page with two, one-run victories against the Eagles. Oberlin took game one 6-5 and followed that up with a 5-4 victory.
 
In game one, third-year Calvin Burkholder got the ball for the Yeomen. After an opening day outing where the reigning All-Conference selection only went three innings, the right-hander spun a gem against the Eagles. The Aurora, CO native threw seven strong innings of three-run ball, allowing seven hits and three walks while striking out two.
 
"After last week, I couldn't allow myself to get discouraged and continue to do what I do best, which is pound the zone and get weak contact," Burkholder remarked following his start. "Especially against a team like Asbury, who liked to crowd the plate, it was important to get fastballs in and not let them get their hands extended."
 
Heading into the top half of the seventh, the Yeomen found themselves in a 3-0 hole. Desperately needing a spark, second-year catcher Daniel Krabill reached on an error, and after moving over to second on a sacrifice bunt, second-year second baseman Ryan Robinson walked to put two runners on with one out.
 
Second-year shortstop You-Fu Chen delivered an RBI single up the middle to put the Yeomen on the board, and make it a 3-1 game. The next batter, first-year center fielder Patrick Leonard, sent a deep fly ball to center, scoring Robinson from first to make it a 3-2 ballgame.
 
Leading off the top half of the eighth, third-year first baseman Kyle Baxt roped his first home run of the season over the wall in right-center to knot the score at 3.
 
"My goal every at bat is to just put a good swing on a good pitch and hit a ball hard somewhere," Baxt said of his approach heading into the at bat. "I was just happy to help the boys win. It is always great when you can do something to fire the boys up and contribute to two great, gritty team wins."
 
A year removed from tying the single-season home run record with seven, Baxt finds himself on the board this season as his career total jumps to 11.
 
In the top of the ninth, the Yeomen loaded the bases with two hit batters and a walk. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Leonard lifted his second sacrifice fly of the game to center to put Oberlin ahead, 4-3. After a strikeout, second-year third baseman Samuel Labrecque delivered what would be a game-deciding two RBI single to right field to put the Yeomen ahead by three.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Asbury hit a two-run home run to make it a one-run game. Third-year right-hander Micah Rodriguez was able to record the next three outs to earn his first save of the season and the third of his career as the Yeoman secured their first win of the season.
 
In game two, the Yeomen jumped out to an early 2-0 lead thanks to Leonard's first career home run in the top of the third. Leonard had five RBIs total on the day.
 
In the top half of the fifth, after Asbury cut the lead to one, Baxt delivered a two-RBI single up the middle to score Leonard and Chen and push the lead to three.
 
Second-year Matthew Ruttkay got the ball in game two for Oberlin. In the right-hander's first start of the season, he twirled six innings of one-run ball to earn the win, allowing seven hits and striking out six.
 
After Leonard tacked on another run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth, the Yeomen had a four-run lead heading into the bottom half of the ninth.
 
After two clean innings, third-year Davis Hayes ran into some trouble in the ninth. After an error and three walks, the Yeomen turned to first-year Shane McKenna to shut the door.
 
McKenna got the first batter he faced to pop-up to the catcher, but then a walk and a wild pitch made it a one-run ball game.
 
On a 2-2 count, McKenna induced a weak pop up to Robinson at second base, and the Yeomen secured their second victory of the day. After homering in game one, Baxt followed it up with a 5-5 performance in game two.
 
The Yeomen are back in action Sunday, March 2 when they take on Berea College. First pitch is scheduled for noon.
 
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