While many students were on break, spring sports teams had to stay back and continue their season, including the tennis, baseball, softball, track and field, and lacrosse teams. While some teams were in Oberlin for most of the break, other teams took road trips elsewhere to compete in tournaments.
Women’s Tennis
Both of the tennis teams traveled to Hilton Head, SC to continue their seasons. The women’s tennis team had matches against Grinnell College, George Fox University, and Savannah State University. The first match against Grinnell College was the beginning of Spring Tennis Fest for the team. Both of the doubles teams lost against their Grinnell competitors, but they were two hard-fought matches. Third-year Anna Pastore and first-year Freya Rahm fell 8–3 in the first doubles match and fourth-year Amelia Bronfman and first-year Robyn Gurujal lost their second doubles match.
The second match of the Spring Tennis Fest was against the George Fox University Bruins. Pastore and Rahm took an early lead of 2–0 in the first doubles match, but after a close match they lost 8–5 to the Bruins. Bronfman and second-year Moe Ariyoshi fell 8–1 in the second doubles game.
In the last match of spring break, the Yeowomen managed to get some good results against Savannah State. Gurujal won her match 6–0, 6–0 and Pastore earned a 7–6 (1), 6–1 win. With spring break tennis done, the team starts conference play this week on Saturday, April 6 against DePauw University.
Men’s Tennis
The men’s team had matches against Grinnell College, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and Franklin College. In the first match of their Spring Tennis Fest, the team fell to Grinnell 8–1. The first match to finish was No. 3 doubles, played by second-year James Foster and first-year Ben Tichauer. The pair won their first game, but the Pioneers were able to win the next eight games. Second-year Shawn Lisann won his singles match 3–6, 7–5 after Grinnell retired.
The Yeomen lost every singles and doubles match in the second match against the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, who is now the #10 team in the country. The final game of spring break for the men’s team was against the Franklin College Grizzlies. The team managed to keep the Grizzlies scoreless and won 9–0. The pairing of fourth-year Rohan Gold and Lisann won 8–3 in the first doubles match, followed by an 8–5 victory from Foster and third-year Sebastien Naginski. The last doubles match was won 8–5 by first-years Ben Tichauer and Zain Makada. The Yeomen won most of their singles matches with ease, while Tichauer won 6–1, 7–5 victory and Foster pulled out a 7-6, 6-7, 1-0 (3) win. The Yeomen will continue their season against DePauw University on Saturday, April 6.
Baseball
The baseball team started their spring break with a 10–3 win against Asbury University. The team earned four runs within the first inning, with four hits and two errors from Asbury. First-year Brady Groves started the team off with his fourth triple of the season. Another great performance came from second-year Nik Mezzanotte, who finished 5–5 with two runs batted in. The team then managed to cap off the game by making six runs in the eighth inning.
The second two games of spring break were a doubleheader against Asbury University; the first game was won by the Yeomen, but Asbury took the victory in the second game. The game that Oberlin won had a close result of 9–7. Groves gave good performances, going three for three with two doubles, two RBIs, and one walk. Third-year Ethan Hurwitz also had a good game with a home run — his second one in the last three games.
In the third game against Maryville, the Yeomen lost their second game of spring break. The game was close, with a final score of 8–5. However, the team was able to win the second game against Maryville College 2–0. The game had a sensational performance from first-year Calvin Burkholder, who threw 73 strikes in 123 pitches while scattering eight hits — all of which were singles. Burkholder also struck out two players and walked two.
The last games of spring break paired the Yeomen against The College of Wooster. The Yeomen lost the first game 4–0, but they were able to win the second game 18–5. The 18–5 game ended with a season-high of 25 hits. First-year Kyle Baxt finished nine for eleven with one home run, a double, two RBIs, and two runs. This is the first time that Oberlin has beaten the Scots since April 1, 2017, almost seven years ago. In the fifth inning the Yeomen scored six runs, and in the ninth inning they scored five, which certainly gave them the lead over Wooster. The baseball team returns to action hosting DePauw University for a doubleheader on April 6.
Softball
The softball team started their spring break road trip against Capital University with two games. The first game was very close, with Capital winning 11–10. Second-year Hailey Alspach pitched all seven innings and threw four strikeouts. First-year Wren Norris went 3–4 on the day with two doubles and three RBIs. In the batter’s box, second-year Maya Means went two for three and hit one home run and two RBIs. In the second game against Capital, the Yeowomen lost 11-0.
The softball team then lost both games of a doubleheader against Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, and Scripps College in California. Against the University of La Verne, the Yeowomen won 3–2. Fourth-year Mia Brito got an RBI, which managed a single to put the team in front. The Yeowomen later managed to go 2–0 with the help of Norris, who was assisted by a La Verne error as well. In the second game against La Verne, the Yeowomen lost 11–0.
The final game of spring break for the softball team was against Pomona-Pitzer, the joint athletic program for Pomona and Pitzer College. In the first inning, Haley Carlson hit her first career home run. Oberlin was leading until the last inning, when Pomona-Pitzer got two runs to put them ahead 4–3. The softball team returns to action against Denison University tomorrow, April 6.
Track and Field
The track and field team also kept busy over spring break with multiple days of crucial competition. Oberlin hosted the Bob Kahn Invitational, an event that spanned two days starting last Friday. This was the first event of the outdoor track season — a month removed from the end of the indoor season.
To start off, the men and women both came in third place in the hammer throw, with throws by fourth-years Isaiah Schuham-Anders and Abby Cannon, respectively. Schuman-Anders and Kit Evans were both able to reach personal bests in the javelin throw with throws of 42.85 meters and 39.71 meters, respectively. Second-years Ryley Steggall and Namu Makatiani both jumped personal bests in the long jump of 4.77m and 6.90m, respectively. Makatiani earned a silver finish.
The second day of the invitational was more action-packed than the first. Working around some weather delays, more impressive performances took place for the Crimson and Gold, such as a school record in the 4×100-meter relay. First-years Oliver Briger and Armand Andry and third-years Reese Hyatt and Sam Fechner were able to clock in a time of 41.96, which beat a record that had stood since 1985. In addition, Andry, Fechner, and third-years Cole Fuller and Kambi Obioha ran a 3:15.74 in the 4×400, putting them at the current third-best time in the nation. The Yeomen made their mark in the triple jump, with Makatiani capturing second place and fourth-year Jake Jarvis taking third. Steggall earned third in the 100-meter dash with 13.28 seconds, and Obioha won the men’s 800-meter dash by a large margin with a time of 1:57.80. In the distance events, third-year Walter Moak paced the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, much like first-years Sophie Mateja and Sam Mortensen who paced their 5,000-meter races the previous day. Oberlin track and field will be back at it this weekend at the Wooster invitational.
Men’s Lacrosse
The men’s lacrosse team navigated a mix of victories and setbacks in a string of demanding games in their spring break campaign. After securing a thrilling 8–7 overtime victory against the Sewanee Tigers, the Yeomen suffered an 18–9 setback to Ohio Wesleyan University. This loss ended their four-game winning streak and brought their overall record to 7–3, with a 1–1 standing in the NCAC.
Starting their spring break campaign strong against Sewanee, second-year goalie Jake Pillsbury’s season-high 16 saves anchored the defense, while fifth-year Ryan Blasberg led the offense with two goals and an assist. Despite leading by two for the majority of the fourth quarter, former Yeoman Niko Maheras scored two goals for the Tigers in the last 100 seconds of the game, forcing the game to a nail-biting overtime. During the fifth period, first-year Lewis Moore scored his second career goal to seal the victory. Oberlin’s resilient performance showcased their teamwork and ability to handle pressure, marking a significant win and boosting momentum for the season.
In their second conference game of the season, Oberlin sought what would have been their first win against Ohio Wesleyan University since 1970, attempting to break a 46-game losing streak against the neighboring school. OWU asserted their dominance from the outset, netting the first three goals of the game before Blasberg, assisted by second-year Jack Duffy, managed to get Oberlin on the scoreboard late in the opening period. The defensive effort was led by third-year Gavin Girard and first-year Colin Taylor, who amassed five ground balls each and combined for seven caused turnovers. Without second-year Jacob Starcke on the field, the Yeomen attack attempted to keep their shooting numbers high but fell short with a 30–22 difference in shots-on-goal. Unfortunately, the Bishops maintained command of the game, building a substantial 6–1 lead early in the second quarter. While Oberlin fought back valiantly, with second-year Solomon Brennan and first-year Jacob Abdi narrowing the deficit to 7–4 before the half, OWU maintained their grip on the game. They scored five unanswered goals in the first 10 minutes of the third quarter, effectively sealing the victory.
While the loss to OWU marked a disappointing end to Oberlin’s spring break campaign, they will have the opportunity to regain momentum in conference play as they face Wittenberg University on Bailey Field Saturday, April 6.
Women’s Lacrosse
The women’s lacrosse team faced a series of challenging matchups during their spring break trip, suffering three tough losses and bringing their season record to 4–7. In their first game against the University of the Cumberlands Patriots, Oberlin suffered a tough 14–3 loss. Despite a sluggish start, the team showed resilience, finding their offensive rhythm in the third period. First-year Phoebe Dolan led the scoring effort with two goals in the fourth period, but the team ultimately fell short.
In their second game against the Sewanee Tigers, Oberlin fought hard in a close 12–11 contest. Fourth-year Abbie Patchen led the offense with five goals, supported by second-year Megan Hiller’s three goals and an assist. The Yeowomen put up a strong fight, finding the back of the net four times in the last four minutes of the first period to tie up the score. Second-year Olivia Corradi was a valuable asset on defense, collecting four ground balls, causing a turnover, and scoring unassisted in the third period. Despite a tied score late in the game, a foul in the final moments proved costly and resulted in a tough loss for Oberlin.
Wrapping up their spring break campaign against Rhodes College, Oberlin faced an 18–6 defeat. Despite six different players scoring the six Oberlin goals, the Yeowomen struggled to find momentum against the dominant Lynx. The defense was championed by second-year Maddie Weathers, who scooped up three ground balls and caused two turnovers. Although the Yeowomen found their stride late in the game, scoring twice in the third and fourth periods, Oberlin couldn’t overcome the deficit and ended their spring break trip with a challenging loss.
Overall, the spring break games provided valuable learning experiences for the women’s lacrosse team as they move forward into conference play this weekend at DePauw University.
