Cleveland, Ohio – Headed off campus for a game at the Baseball Heritage Museum, the Oberlin College baseball team paid homage to
Moses Fleetwood Walker '1878, with their annual Moses Fleetwood Walker Memorial Game. The late, great Walker was a member of the Oberlin baseball team in 1881, and in 1884, he broke the color barrier to become the first black major league baseball player.
Dawning throwback uniforms reflecting the Yeomen's 1903 look, the Crimson and Gold fell to Alleghany College 15-13 at League Park in Cleveland. League Park was home to the Cleveland Buckeyes of the Negro League from 1942 to 1950 and the home of the Cleveland Indians from 1901 to 1946 and the Cleveland Spiders from 1891 to 1899.
Before the game started, former Indianapolis Clown Jay Valentine threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Valentine, a native of Oberlin, spent two years with the Clowns in the Negro Leagues in 1977 and 1978.
In what was a bullpen game for the Yeomen, seven different staff members took the mound for Oberlin. Second-year Sam Labrecque and third-year Davis Hayes tossed two innings apiece to headline the staff.
Offensively, the Yeomen offense reached base 27 times. Oberlin compiled twelve hits, 14 walks, and a hit by pitch in their highest total base mark of the season.
First-year center fielder Patrick Leonard was unstoppable offensively. The Stamford, Connecticut native reached base in all six plate appearances and tied a program record with four walks in a single game. Leonard doubled in the first inning, tripled in the second inning, and walked in all of his remaining plate appearances.
"Trusting the guys behind me was the biggest help today," Leonard said. "After I was aggressive and got two extra base hits, I knew they were going to try to work around me. My job was to get on base for the heart of the lineup to score me."
Leonard emphasised how important it is for the offense to pass the baton to the next guy and credited their success today to sticking with such a mindset.
"When you can take team at bats and keep moving the chain, you give each other great opportunities to score, which is what we did today," Leonard continued.
In the bottom of the fifth, while trailing 12-3, the Yeomen exploded for seven runs to make it a two-run game.
Third-year first baseman Kyle Baxt crushed his first career triple deep into the left-center gap to score Leonard, who had drawn his first walk of the game moments earlier, to make it 12–4. Second-year catcher Daniel Krabill and first-year third baseman Robbie Lynn delivered RBi singles to make it a 12-6 game.
Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, four-year second baseman Alex Gaetano laced a bases-clearing double just inside third base to make it a 12–9 ballgame. Third-year right fielder Brady Groves then singled to score Gaetano and bring the Yeomen to within two runs.
Unfortunately, from there, Alleghany was able to pad onto their lead, ultimately holding on to win 15–13 as the Yeomen's comeback effort fell short.
Leonard, Krabill, Lynn, and Gaetano all recorded multi-hit games. Leonard, Krabill, Gaetano, and first-year catcher Ari Siegel all registered multi-RBI games in the loss.
The Yeomen are now 13-13-1 on the season. Oberlin looks to get back to their winning ways on Tuesday, April 14 at Dill Field for a non-conference matchup against Muskingum. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m.
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