Charlotte, North Carolina – Securing a clean sweep in a twin bill on the road, the Oberlin College softball team has now recorded the best start in program history at 4-0. The Crimson and Gold took down Johnson & Wales 8-5 in game one, then completed the day with a 6-2 win in game two.
 
"Today was a great day, the first game showed us who we are, and the second game showed us who we can be. We scored first and, after they had a big response, we answered to retake our lead." Head Coach Julie Pratt added, "This was huge for the program, and I'm excited to roll with the new us!"
 
Alspach pitched a complete seven innings in the first game, striking out six and dishing out 114 pitches. Haley Carlson led the team in the batter's box, recording a pair of hits, three RBIs, and one run at four at-bats. First-year Anjali Singh also squared a pair of hits and two RBIs, while adding two runs of her own.
 
Oberlin got on the board first in the first inning after Hannah O'Connor doubled down left field, bringing home Singh from second base. Up 1-0, the Yeowomen saw the Wildcats respond in droves with four runs.
 
Facing their first deficit of the season, Oberlin loaded the bases in the second inning. With Caroline Sniffen on third, Aoife Shen on second, and Alspach on first, Wren Norris' hit-by-pitch gave Oberlin the go-ahead run from Sniffen. Singh up next, the rookie brought Shen and Alspach home on a pop fly to center field. Back within one, Carlson's single cleared the bases and regained Oberlin's lead at 5-4.
 
The two foes swapped scores before the Yeowomen came alive in the final inning. Carlson in the box again, the senior sent a rocket over left field for a solo homerun to sinch the victory. Ava Soldo added one final blow with a single RBI to bring O'Connor to home plate.
 
With one win under their belt, Oberlin took on the Wildcats for a second game with Sophie Stone earning the start in the circle. Stone grabbed seven strikeouts, through a full seven innings.
 
O'Connor continued her dominate day with three RBIs on two hits and another two runs. Singh and Shen combined for four hits, with Singh adding two runs and two stolen bases.
 
After a scoreless start, the Crimson and Gold cracked the Johnson & Wales defense with an O'Connor double that brought Singh home. Soldo's hit added Carlson's score, just before Connor Fogarty singled to center field and gave Oberlin the 3-0 lead. In the top of the fifth, Norris scored, then O'Connor hit her first homer of the season to extend the lead to 6-1.
 
The Wildcats scored once more, but the Yeowomen maintained their composure to secure their fourth-straight victory.  
 
Oberlin completes their North Carolina trip with a doubleheader tomorrow, Sunday, March 8 against Salem. The final stretch against the Spirits is set to begin at 11 a.m.
 
Keep up with the Crimson and Gold on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, and watch every home game on the Oberlin Sports Network online or on Roku, Apple TV, or Amazon Fire TV.