The Yeomen’s offense exploded for 25 runs in a four-game series sweep last weekend against North Coast Athletic Conference rival Kenyon College. In the team’s first home series against a conference opponent, the games helped secure sole possession of second place in the NCAC East Division with 6–2 and 10–7 wins on Saturday and 6–2 and 3–1 victories on Sunday. With their six-game win streak on the line, Oberlin split the doubleheader against Division III powerhouse Marietta College Pioneers on Wednesday, winning the first game 8–7 before dropping the nightcap 5–2.

“We’re really lucky to be able to play a national power team like Marietta,” Head Coach Adrian Abrahamowicz said. “They’re really tough and have a whole wall of national championships for baseball. We’re going to get a good test in between playing conference games.”

Against six-time national champion Marietta College, senior Mike Masella’s single in the tenth inning helped propel Oberlin to a game one victory. On the mound, junior Milo Sklar earned his first win of the season, hurling the final two innings scoreless. In the second game, the Yeomen dropped a lower-scoring affair as they were outhit 8–5. In the first inning, senior right fielder Brian’s Carney’s RBI double gave the Yeomen a 1–0 lead, but the Pioneers would strike back with two runs in the bottom half of the frame and three runs in the third to create a lead that they would not relinquish.

Last Sunday, the Yeomen continued to play well-rounded baseball in back-and-forth battles with Kenyon. With game three tied 2–2 in the bottom of the fourth, junior Jack Brewster launched a grand slam to left centerfield to provide Oberlin with a decisive 6–2 lead. Oberlin’s overwhelming momentum carried into the final game of the series, as Gear improved to 4–1 on the mound, allowing just one earned run through 7.1 innings in a 3–1 win. Brewster said the team’s wins represented an important step forward in the pursuit of a postseason berth.

“I don’t know the last time we swept Kenyon. It was definitely a big deal to sweep, or to even get a sweep in general,” Brewster said. “It was one of the best feelings in the world, finishing that last game, and I think everyone had a smile on his face after that.”

On Saturday, Oberlin got off to a strong start offensively as Carney scorched a two-run RBI single to left center, allowing senior Justin Cruz and sophomore Ian Dinsmore to score. The Yeomen’s red-hot offense was able to pull away in the fourth inning with a two-run single from first-year Amari Newman. Junior Sean Kiley led the charge on the mound, striking out 13 hitters over nine innings, earning him NCAC Pitcher of the Week. In front of a large crowd at Dill Field, Abrahamowicz said he was pleased with the team’s intensity.

“It was our first home conference series of the year, so we were really up for it,” he said. “We felt that if we were able to get on them and establish what we do early, we were going to do something special.”

During the second game on Saturday, the Yeomen took an early 4–0 lead in the second inning with RBIs from Masella, Dinsmore, sophomore Brendan Mapes and junior Sam Harris. However, the Yeomen were not in the clear yet, as a fourth-inning home run by the Lords’ Matt Contreras cut the lead to 5–2. Later that inning, Carney blasted a grand slam to left-center, pushing the Yeomen’s lead up to 9–2. The Yeomen then cruised to a 10–7 win as sophomore David Gaetano earned his second win of the season, allowing six earned runs through six innings. Sophomore pitcher Noah Gear attributes the team’s drive and mentality to their success.

“The big thing for us was practice,” Gear said. “A few weeks ago, we weren’t really as focused as we should have been. We came from our spring trip and we thought we were real good and hit a bumpy road. We came back, got back to work, back to the gym, and everything worked out.”

The Yeomen host NCAC East Division-rival Allegheny College for a four-game series this weekend. First pitch for both doubleheaders is set for noon on Saturday and Sunday, with Senior Day slated for Sunday.