Oberlin women’s softball finished its season in a marathon weekend that included four double headers on the road. The Yeowomen split decisions with the Kenyon College Lords, winning the first game 6–3 in an extra eighth inning but faltering 5–13 in their second bout. Against both the College of Wooster Scots and the Wittenberg University Tigers, Oberlin went 0–2. They were able to gear up and close their season with a pair of wins, however, sweeping Franciscan University 5–2 and 10–6. For the season, the Yeowomen posted an overall record of 5–27 (1–13 in the North Coast Athletic Conference).

“While our record didn’t turn out how we had anticipated, I think it was still a very productive season,” said first-year pitcher Melanie Budney, who had an impressive weekend to cap off her strong season. “Our record definitely does not reflect our overall talent and, from this point on, I think the team can only get better.”

The game one win against Kenyon marked a crucial turnaround for Oberlin, who was riding a 14-game losing streak. The Yeowomen led 1–0 after the first, but were quickly down 2–1 following two hits by Kenyon and an error in Oberlin’s fielding. The game was a back-and-forth battle, with each team matching the other’s scoring until the eighth.

With runners on second and third, sophomore infielder Cheryl Lindsly blasted a home run — her third on the season — to secure Oberlin’s victory. The win marked Oberlin’s first conference victory this year, and the first in Oberlin history over Kenyon.

Unfortunately the Yeowomen were unable to maintain their momentum from the afternoon, as they were hit early and often by Kenyon in the second game, ultimately falling by a score of 5–13.

Saturday saw Oberlin in action against Wooster. Despite solid pitching by Budney again, silent hitting and fielding errors doomed the Yeowomen, who lost 2–5 and 1–8. In game one, five Oberlin errors resulted in five unearned runs for the Scots, who came back from an early 2–0 deficit. In the nightcap, the Scots jumped out early, scoring two runs in each of the first two innings on their way to pounding out 15 hits which were compounded by four more Oberlin errors.

Oberlin dropped another pair at Wittenberg. In the first game, Budney was solid yet again, keeping things close allowing only two runs in a complete game effort However, Wittenberg’s Rachel Ross threw a perfect game, effectively undermining any Oberlin effort in a 0–2 defeat.

In game two, Oberlin posted an impressive 10 hits but was unable to convert those opportunities into runs to complete a comeback bid. Trailing 1–9 in the fourth inning, junior outfielder Katie Baldonieri supplied a three-run home run to narrow the gap, but it proved to be a too little too late. Oberlin lost 4–12. “Those were very close, very exciting games and it would’ve been nice to get those conference wins, but there were still positive aspects,” Budney said. “Our offense was definitely on in the Wooster game, but then fell a bit in the Wittenberg, so it’s all about finding that right balance between succeeding both offensively and defensively.”

Oberlin found that balance just in time for its season-closing sweep against Franciscan. Offensively, the Yeowomen managed a whopping 25 hits between the two games, and rookie infielder Emily King added another home run to the season’s tally. On defense, Budney was a force on the mound, earning 10 strikeouts in two complete game victories. Oberlin effectively managed Franciscan comeback efforts late in both games to sail to 5–2 and 10–6 victories.

Looking ahead, the future seems promising. Despite the team’s small size, Oberlin will graduate no seniors and looks to pad the roster with talented recruits.

“Our lack of players was definitely a factor,” Budney said. “But the fact that our coaches could switch us around to different positions and we would still perform well is a testament to our team’s strength of versatility. I think it‘s great that there are no graduating seniors because it means that we can only get better and as we gain more players we will absolutely improve. We have all the right tools and strengths, we just need to figure out how to bring it all together and win ball games.”

Oberlin will seek to add a final piece to its puzzle as Head Coach Adrienne Davis announced on Wednesday that she will be stepping down. Davis, who has been a fixture of Oberlin softball for the past six seasons, leaves behind a history of success. Oberlin will begin a national search for her replacement immediately.