Gambier, Ohio – In their final games of the season, the Oberlin College baseball team took two from the Kenyon Owls to complete their first North Coast Athletic Conference sweep of the season. In game two, first-year
Jameson Bryant was on the mound when Oberlin broke their all-time single-season strikeout record. And in game two, third-year right-hander
Davis Hayes picked up the team's eleventh save of the season, setting another program record.
In two tight ballgames, Oberlin prevailed 4–2 in game one and 5–4 in the nightcap.
In game one, the third-year right-hander Calvin Burkholder delivered his best performance of the season in his final start. The Aurora, Colorado native tossed eight innings, only surrendering six hits and two runs (one earned), while racking up four strikeouts.
"This season was a grind," Burkholder said after earning his third win of the season. "It felt great to deliver one of my best starts of the season in the final outing. It is a great building block for both the team and me. Taking two from Kenyon creates momentum we can hopefully ride into next season."
And on a cold, stagnant day where offense was few and far between, Oberlin's bats did just enough to secure the win.
In the top of the third with two outs and the bases loaded, second-year shortstop Sam Labrecque laced a two-RBI single over the shortstop's head into left field to give the Yeomen a massive 2–1 lead.
Then, in the bottom of the fifth, once again with the bases loaded and two outs, the Yeomen came through. First-year third baseman Robbie Lynn dropped a two-RBI single into left-center to push Oberlin's lead to three, 4–1.
That was all the run support Burkholder and company would need. First-year Shane McKenna came on in relief of Burkholder after the lead-off runner reached in the top of the ninth. The big left-hander walked two in his inning of work, but was able to get the final batter to pop out in foul territory and earn his third save of the season.
Third-year first baseman Kyle Baxt, third-year right fielder Brady Groves, and Labrecque all finished with multi-hit games in the contest.
In game two, the Yeomen turned the ball over to Bryant. The Cape Elizabeth, Maine native capped off a stellar freshman season with 4.2 innings, allowing three earned runs and striking out seven. Bryant finished the season with a 2.95 ERA in 39.2 innings of work.
In the bottom of the third, Bryant captured the Yeomen's 264th strikeout of the season, a historic feat for Oberlin. This punchout broke the single-season record of 263 set in 2022. The Yeomen finished the year with 270 total team strikeouts.
Fourth-year outfielder Nik Mezzanotte got the scoring started in the top of the fourth with an RBI single to center, scoring Labrecque to give Oberlin a 1–0 lead.
After Kenyon battled back to hold a 3–1 lead, in the top of the seventh, Baxt laced an RBI double down the left field line, scoring Groves to cut the lead to one. A few batters later, Mezzanotte lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Baxt from third to knot the score at three.
First-year Kyle Takahashi came on to pinch run for second-year left fielder Daniel Devepalan, who reached on an error by the third baseman. Takahashi picked up a huge stolen base and came around to score on a two-out RBI single from fourth-year catcher Shelton to give Oberlin their first lead of the game, 4–3.
In Shelton's final game with the Crimson and Gold, he finished with three hits, none bigger than his game-clinching RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.
In the top of the eighth, Baxt added on an insurance run with a rocketed RBI single to right field, scoring first-year center fielder Patrick Leonard to make it a 5–3 game. That was Baxt's 42nd RBI of the season, putting him in a tie for the third-most in a single season all-time.
The Owls were able to get one run back in the bottom of the ninth thanks to a leadoff triple, but Hayes came on to get the final three outs as the Yeomen took game two 5–4.
It was Hayes's first save of the season, and the team's 11th, breaking the previous record of ten set in 2019.
With the doubleheader sweep, the Yeomen finish the season 18–19–2 overall and 6–9–1 in NCAC play. The 18 wins are the most since 2017.
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