Cleveland, Ohio – In a midweek matchup with their crosstown rival, Case Western Reserve, the Oberlin College baseball team jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after the top of the first. However, Oberlin's pitching gave way late as the Yeomen ultimately fell 16-6 in eight innings.

First-year center fielder Patrick Leonard led off the game with a seven-pitch walk to ignite the Yeomen early. Third-year right fielder Brady Groves followed with a walk of his own, and third-year first baseman Kyle Baxt singled to load the bases with nobody out.

After a strikeout, second-year left fielder Daniel Devapalan doubled off the base of the left-center wall to plate two and make it a 2-0 game. 

The following batter, second-year catcher Daniel Krabill, knocked a ground ball single through the right side to score Baxt from third and push the lead to three.

The next batter, fourth-year catcher Anton Shelton placed a sacrifice bunt down the first base line, allowing Devapalan to score and make it a 4-0 game.

Second-year Warner Gearhart got the nod for the Yeomen on the bump. In the left-hander's first start of the season after battling back from a knee injury, he spun two innings of one-run ball (unearned) while being on a limited pitch count.

"I was just happy to be back competing with my guys again," Gearhart wrote. "It felt great to get the nod today, especially having not pitched yet this year. Huge credit to the training staff and my coaches for getting me healthy enough to play today. I think my success just came down to relying on my defense behind me and letting the hitters get themselves out."

After the Spartans plated one run in the bottom half of the first, the Yeomen responded in the top half of the second. Groves ripped a double down the left field line to score Leonard from first to make it a 5-1 game.

The Spartans fought back in the bottom of the third. With some timely hitting combined with poor Yeomen defense, Case Western Reserve scored three to make it a one-run game.

In the top of the fourth, the Yeomen manufactured another run. With two-outs, Devapalan worked a bases-loaded walk to push Oberlin's lead to two.

In a bullpen game, first-years Jameson Bryant and Shane McKenna tossed scoreless innings in the fourth and fifth, respectively, to keep the lead at two.

But in the sixth and seventh innings, the Spartans' offense exploded for 12 runs to put the game out of reach.

With the loss, the Yeomen fell to 3-3-1 on the young season.

Oberlin makes their home debut this Sunday at Dill Field in a twin bill against Kalamazoo. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.

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