Bluffton, Ohio - The Oberlin College softball team traveled this afternoon to Bluffton to take on the Beavers in a non-conference double-header. While putting up a strong fight, the Yeowomen were unable to capitalize on their hits and came up short in both games. The final score of game one was 8-3, while the nightcap ended 5-1. 

Senior Hailey Alspach started on the mound for game one, going five innings and letting up eight hits and one earned run. Additionally, she tacked on six strikeouts and just one walk. Olivia Bey finished out the game going one inning and letting up just one run on one hit.

The Crimson and Gold were the first on the board after Haley Carlson doubled to right-center to advance Anjali Singh to third following her walk. Now in second and third, Singh was able to cross the plate on a wild pitch to put the Yeowomen up 1-0 in the first. Bluffton responded in the bottom of the inning putting up three runs on three hits as they were able to score on two Oberlin errors. 

After a silent second inning for both teams, the Yeowomen continued to rally the bats in the top of the third beginning with a second walk from Singh, just before she claimed second with her 24th stolen base of the season, tying the school single-season record. Another knock from Carlson in the two-hole scored Singh from second for her 14th RBI thus far. A follow-up single from Connor Fogarty moved Carlson to third, and she was able to overtake home on an error from Bluffton's catcher. The Yeowomen came out of the third inning tied 3-3 with the Beavers.

Bluffton was able to sneak in one additional run in both the third and the fourth as they held the Yeowomen to three runs. Putting up three more in the bottom of the sixth, Oberlin faced a must-hit situation in the top of the seventh. Singh secured first base on a Bluffton error before Carlson's third hit of the game propelled her teammate to second. Another Bluffton error allowed Fogarty to reach first, loading the bases as they came down to the final out, but clean-up hitter Maya Means popped out to end the game 8-3. 

Sophomore Cash Stone took the circle for game two and ended up going 5.1 innings letting up four earned runs on nine hits with just two walks and seven strikeouts. The Illinois-native silenced Bluffton bats through four innings with just three hits and forcing five left on base. 

The Yeowomen gathered six hits in the first five innings with two from Means, and one each from Caroline Sniffen and Ava Soldo, Caitlyn Crotty, and Alspach, though none were able to score. The Beavers opened it up in the bottom of the fifth claiming three runs on two hits. Oberlin responded with an RBI single from Soldo in the top of the sixth, but stranded her on base, ending the top of the inning still down 3-1. 

Bluffton tacked on two more in the bottom of the sixth, and the Yeowomen came up empty handed in the top of the seventh to end the nightcap. 

The Crimson and Gold move to 12-10 on the season as they prepare for two conference double headers this weekend on Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12. They will first take on DePauw on the former with first pitch slated for 1 p.m. and the second game to follow at approximately 3 p.m.

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