Softball – The Oberlin Review

Vianca Dagnino Begins Oberlin Softball Career After Years with Peruvian National Team

February 8, 2019

The routine of the average high school student is simple: Go to school, attend classes and other extracurricular activities, and then return home to do homework for the following school day. For Vianca Dagnino, a first-year catcher on Oberlin’s varsity softball team, high school was a bit different. While her peers were at school in her home state of California, Dagnino was getting hits off softball legends like Monica Abbott. Since the age of 13, Dagnino has been an active membe...

Senior Student-Athletes Must Balance Athletics, Academics, Impending Graduation

Alexis Dill, Sports Editor

November 9, 2018

At the conclusion of her junior year, College senior and softball player Emma Downing was unsure if she should apply to the Honors Program in History. She didn’t think she would get in — only seven students were accepted this year — and even if she did, she didn’t know if her schedule would allow for it. Nevertheless, she decided to take the plunge. “There weren’t any other classes I wanted to take, and I wanted to push myself academically and see what I could accomplish,” Downing said. “I knew that coming up with a question and researching it all year to write a 60-page paper would be the hardest thing I’ve ever done academically.” The History and Russian & East European Studies double-major ...

Softball Sweeps Terriers, Falls to Crusaders

April 27, 2018

The softball team closed their season against the Capital University Crusaders Thursday, dropping the first game 9–1 and the second game 2–1. Although they ended with an overall record of 8–26 and a 3–13 record in North Coast Athletic Conference play, they have some momentum to carry into next spring. Against the Hiram College Terriers, the Yeowomen earned their first conference sweep since 2014. Since eight of their 18 players are first-years — and over half of the first-years are starters ...

Softball Earns Split Against Kenyon Ladies, Falls to Allegheny Gators

April 6, 2018

The Yeowomen recorded their first win against rival Kenyon College Ladies in three years in their first week of North Coast Athletic Conference play last weekend 14–12. However, it was the only win they recorded, as they split the doubleheader against the Ladies on Saturday, and dropped both games of their double header against the Allegheny College Gators Wednesday 2–9 and 2–8. Going into the Wednesday games, Head Coach Sara Schoenhoft — who is in her third year with the program — was o...

Yeowomen Softball Seeks to Improve on 12-Win Season

Alex McNicoll, Sports Editor

March 9, 2018

The Yeowomen softball team enters the spring 2018 season with both their largest-ever team and largest-ever first-year class following a year in which they improved their record from 2–35 to 12–28. With their lone All-NCAC Second Team select sophomore infielder Alexis Dill returning, along with junior center fielder Emma Downing — who led the team in batting average (.374), on-base percentage (.500), and runs scored (33) — the team will look to continue their development. Head Coach Sara Schoenhoft, who enters her third year in the program and has seen to the rapid growth of the Yeowomen squad, said she wants to see their improvement carry over into North Coast Athletic Conference games. “The goal was just to...

Softball Ends 2017 Run, Splits Hiram Doubleheader

April 28, 2017

The softball team concluded their season Tuesday evening with a split against North Coast Athletic Conference rival, the Hiram College Terriers. Although the Yeowomen failed to make the NCAC Tournament, they saw improvements across the board in offensive and defensive categories — and most importantly in wins. The team took the first game against the Terriers 11–7 in an 11-inning thriller before dropping the season finale 5–3. Seniors Tori Poplaski, Grace Evans and Sami Mericle concluded...

In The Locker Room with Softball

April 7, 2017

This week, the Review sat down with sophomore center fielder Emma Downing and senior pitcher Tori Poplaski to discuss the recent success of the softball team. The team broke the record for wins on spring break, earning six victories over the course of the week. After dropping their first two conference games to Kenyon College last Saturday, the Yeowomen split with Allegheny College on Wednesday, winning the first contest 6–1 and dropping the second 8–2. Downing currently boasts the best batting...

Yeowomen Show New Promise in Opening Games

March 31, 2017

Thriving in the sunshine state, softball set a program record for spring break wins, going 6–6 in a week of non-conference games. The Yeowomen then returned from Florida for their home opener, splitting a doubleheader with the Wilmington College Fighting Quakers. Oberlin won game one 6–2 before dropping the nightcap 6–5. After winning just eight games over the past two seasons, the Yeowomen have already racked up 7 wins and are 7–11 overall. Junior pitcher Sandra Kibble credits the team’s...

Player of the Week: Hannah Rasmussen

April 29, 2016

First-year Hannah Rasmussen winds up for a pitch. This week marked a bright spot in Rasmussen’s already impressive career as a rookie on the softball team. In the first game of the Yeowomen’s doubleheader against Ohio Wesleyan University Tuesday, Rasmussen scored a career-high five strikeouts. She also pitched for a full six innings in game one, throwing a combined 9.2 innings and eight strikeouts for the day. In the team’s doubleheader against Defiance College Wednesday, Rasmussen contributed...

Softball Scores Conference Win

April 22, 2016

The softball team stepped up to the plate Wednesday to take on conference foe the Allegheny College Gators. Coming off of a tough weekend against the DePauw University Tigers, currently ranked number one in the North Coast Athletic Conference, the Yeowomen looked to bounce back and get their first conference win of the year. In the first game of the doubleheader, first-year pitcher Hannah Rasmussen threw a complete game, giving up no runs in a 3–0 win and helping the Yeowomen earn their first...

Player Of The Week: Izzy Gonzalez-Verlarde

April 8, 2016

Izzy Gonzalez-Velarde tenses over the plate for her opponent’s pitch. Gonzales-Velarde cranked a two-run home run over the center wall against the Kenyon College Ladies at Kenyon’s home field this Saturday. Gonzalez-Velarde contributed to an impressive nine-run third inning for the Yeowomen’s second contest against the Ladies, her second home run of the doubleheader. Oberlin dropped its first game against Kenyon 13–5 and was narrowly defeated in the second game by a score of 18–15, with...

Yeowomen Step Up to Plate in Florida Conference

Julie Schreiber

April 1, 2016

After a busy break competing under a sweltering Florida sun, the softball team returned to campus Sunday and began preparations for Saturday’s first North Coast Athletic Conference game. The Florida tournament got off to a rocky start as the Yeowomen fought through consecutive losses, including a few dramatic nail-biters. On March 20, Oberlin suffered a close 7–6 loss to St. Lawrence University in its first match of the tournament. The team came up short again later in the day, finishing 9–1 against the University of Southern Maine. First-year Emma Downing threw six straight innings, keeping St. Lawrence within a one-run margin after the team closed the Yeowomen’s strong three-run lead in the...