Oberlin softball wrapped up their pre-conference play with a spring break tournament in Central Florida, playing six games in four days and coming away with three wins. They also bonded off the field, staying at a Disney-themed AirBnB and participating in the Heisman Club event along with baseball at Rock & Brews restaurant in the city of Kissimmee.
“[The trip] definitely brought us all closer together,” first-year outfielder Anjali Singh said. “We all got to know each other more, which I think really helped the team chemistry.”
Put together, Oberlin brings an 11–5 record into conference play and a clear improvement from last year.
The Yeowomen split their six spring break games, finishing with an even three wins and three losses. Victories came against Knox College, Lawrence University, and North Central (MN), while they fell short against Westminster College, Union College, and Colby College.
The driving force behind the Yeowomen’s 11–5 start has been their baserunning. They have attempted 107 stolen bases so far this season and been safe 96 times, an almost 90 percent success rate. They are currently fifth in all of Division III with an average of almost six steals per game. Singh has led the way with 21 steals, but first-year Aoife Shen and fourth-year Haley Carlson have swiped double-digit bags as well. First-years Hannah O’Connor and Connor Fogarty have each stolen nine bases and fellow first-year Caroline Sniffen has added eight. Even fourth-year pitcher Hailey Alspach, a two-way player, has nine stolen bases this year.
“Coach [Pratt] is very aggressive on the basepaths,” Singh said. “That’s her playing style, that’s how she’s coaching us, and that’s also what we want to be known for.”
The Yeowomen have brought this balanced attack not only to the basepaths, but the batter’s box as well. O’Connor has led the way in her first season, hitting a remarkable .429 with six doubles and a homer. Fogarty, Carlson, and Singh are all hitting above .300, and fourth-year Maya Means has spearheaded the power attack with four homers on the season.
“I think it’s the preparation, just muscle memory,” O’Connor said of her early-season success. “Especially when I know, as the three-hole hitter, that Maya Means and Connor Fogarty are right behind me. We have some pretty strong offensive hitters, so I feel pretty confident in them.”
Alspach has been the clear leader of the Yeowomen pitching staff, already accumulating 66 innings to the tune of a 2.93 ERA and 70 strikeouts. Second-years Cash Stone and Olivia Bey are also throwing meaningful innings in the Oberlin rotation.
“[Alspach] has been our number one since I took this job,” Coach Pratt said. “It all starts in the circle, and she is the best. Every season she has proven to be the star of the team, [and] this year will be no different.”
In the wake of last year’s 2–31 season, Oberlin has bounced back behind Coach Pratt and major contributions from the freshman class. While they’ve already surpassed last year’s win total, the Yeowomen have more work to do in conference to achieve their goals.
“We’re bringing energy and confidence from North Carolina, Kentucky, and Florida … bringing in that confidence so we can beat these conference teams and make playoffs,” Singh said.
