The Oberlin College baseball team broke through with its first two conference wins of the season, sweeping DePauw University in a doubleheader by scores of 6–2 and 7–4. The Yeomen leaned on dominant pitching, timely hitting, and a full-team effort to claim their first North Coast Athletic Conference victories of the year, improving to 11–21 overall and 2–8 in league play.
The Yeomen turned to second-year ace Calvin Burkholder to open the doubleheader, and the right-hander delivered under pressure. Burkholder fired a complete-game gem, allowing just two runs across nine innings while yielding eight hits and inducing 14 flyouts, nine groundouts, and striking out three to earn his fourth win of the season and second complete game of the year.
While Burkholder dominated on the mound, Oberlin’s offense got to work early. In the top of the second inning, first-year Jack Braddell got things rolling with a two-out single through the left side. Fourth-year Zach Masnikoff hit a ground ball that resulted in another DePauw miscue and brought home two runs. Fourth-year Zachary Ritts followed with a clutch two-run single to center, pushing the lead to 4–0.
“I was looking for a pitch over the outer third of the plate and trying to hit a low line drive,” Ritts said. “I took advantage of it and was able to help out the team.”
Oberlin padded its lead in the third and Burkholder closed the door over the final three innings, keeping DePauw’s bats quiet and sealing a much-needed 6–2 victory.
In game two, the Yeomen handed the ball to second-year Grayson Black, who picked up right where Burkholder left off. Black was untouchable through the first six innings, allowing only two hits while striking out six. Black picked off three runners at first base, a career high.
“I was able to get my fastball by guys early on, which allowed me to mix in breaking balls effectively and keep their hitters off balance,” Black said. “Pitching after Cal [Burkholder] is always fun. He went out there and shoved, and we have a great relationship where we can talk about what worked for him and how to attack their guys, [which] gives me a lot of confidence before my outing.”
Oberlin broke the ice again in the third inning of game two. Braddell led off with a single, and after a hit-by-pitch and a walk loaded the bases, first-year Samuel Labrecque and second-year Brady Groves showed patience at the plate, drawing back-to-back two-out walks to give the Yeomen a 2–0 advantage. The offense kept rolling in the fourth when first-year Ryan Robinson crossed the plate on a clutch two-out RBI single by second-year Kyle Baxt. In the fifth, first-year catcher Caden Rosenbaugh drove in another run with a sharp single down the third-base line. The Yeomen continued to apply pressure in the sixth, adding two more runs. Ritts capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the seventh, stretching Oberlin’s lead to 7–0.
DePauw finally answered in the bottom of the seventh, stringing together five hits to spark a four-run rally and narrow the gap to 7–4. With two outs and the momentum shifting, Black handed the ball over to first-year Matthew Ruttkay, who immediately got a flyout to halt the comeback. Ruttkay remained locked in, retiring the Tigers in order over the final two innings while allowing just one infield single. The performance earned him the first save of his collegiate career and sealed the sweep for the Yeomen.
Head Coach Johnathan Ray lauded his squad’s toughness and well-rounded performance.
“It’s always big to sweep a conference series on the road, and it was a little bigger with it being our first conference win,” Ray said.
Ray credited both Burkholder and Black for setting the tone.
“Cal is always a steady presence when he pitches,” Ray said. “He does a great job of setting the tone for our team, and we know we always have a chance to win when he’s on the mound. Grayson was great on Saturday as well, and our offense took advantage and put runs up to build our lead.”
The offense featured contributions throughout the lineup, something Ray emphasized as key to the doubleheader sweep.
“Offensively, it was one of our better days of the year because we kept pressure on DePauw every inning,” Ray said. “We saw contributions from multiple guys in the lineup, which is always what you want to see. Our goal is to be tough 1–9 in the lineup, and we did that really well on Sunday.”
Oberlin will look to continue their success on the diamond this Saturday at Dill Field with a conference twinbill against Kenyon College.
