WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Washington & Jefferson began the 2018 softball campaign with a chilly nonconference doubleheader against Oberlin at Brooks Park that saw the Presidents drop both games.

Oberlin rallied late in the first game to post a 6-4 win, while taking the nightcap by a 17-0 margin.

In the opener, the Presidents faced trouble early on as the first three batters for the Yeowomen reached to load the bases with no outs against starting pitcher Taylor Andres (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park), but the junior was able to get the next three hitters to fly out, strike out and ground out to get out of the frame unscathed. W&J had two runners in scoring position with one out in the bottom half of the inning, but was unable to push a run across in the frame.

The home team finally got on the board first with a pair of runs in the fourth inning. First baseman Danielle Kochka (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) led off with a single and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by left fielder Jamie Smith (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) before advancing to third on a single by shortstop Meghan Staab (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks). When Staab stole second, the throw went into center field and allowed Kochka to plate the first run of the game and season for W&J, and granted Staab the ability to move up to third. Andres then helped herself with an RBI ground out, 2-0.

Oberlin took the lead in the top of the sixth with four runs and added another two in the top of the seventh to open up a 6-2 lead. With one out in the bottom of the seventh, freshman Addy Helffrich (Sewickley, Pa./Avonworth) delivered a pinch-hit RBI single. Center fielder Dana Parker (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour) returned to the game to run for Helffrich and scored on a double to left center by second baseman Rachel Johnson (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park), 6-3. The next batter was right fielder Ally Doty (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) who also doubled, driving in Johnson. A Yeowomen pitching change ensued and the visitors got a pair of strike outs to end the game.

Johnson had a multi-hit game in the opener, going 2-for-4 in her collegiate softball debut after also playing on the women's tennis team in each of the last three years. Six other Presidents had a hit as W&J recorded eight base knocks in the opener.

Andres suffered the loss after working the first 6.1 innings and giving up eight hits and six runs (five earned), with six strike outs and three walks.

In the second game, Johnson and freshman Julia Schaffer (Ebensburg, Pa./Central Cambria) recorded W&J's two hits. Rookie Courtney Garver (Claysburg, Pa./Claysburg-Kimmel) took the loss in the circle after working 1.2 innings, and classmate Kaitlyn Janos (Tamworth, N.H./Kennett) saw action in both games, tossing 1.1 innings in the night cap after working the final 0.2 inning of the opener.

W&J will travel to Clermont, Fla., for the PFX Spring Games March 17-22, beginning play at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 17 against UMass Dartmouth.