WESTERVILLE, OHIO – The Otterbein softball team played to a 1-3 record this past week, splitting on the road at Wilmington before dropping both to Mount Union Sunday afternoon in Alliance.

The victory at Wilmington gives the team its first Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) win of the season, as the group now sits at 6-18 overall and 1-9 in league play.

The Quakers managed to get a run across the plate in the first inning of game one Tuesday, and it proved to be the difference as Wilmington would preserve a 1-0 victory.

Sophomore Natalie Zwicker pitched strong for OC, allowing just four hits and the one run in six innings. She struck out nine batters and did not walk any in a game that featured just seven combined hits.

Leading 3-0 after three innings in game two, the Cards strung together a rally that produced five runs in the top of the fourth, blowing the game open to take an 8-0 lead. The inning saw four different Lady Cardinals tally an RBI.

The Quakers got posted one run in the bottom of the inning, but it wouldn’t be nearly enough as Otterbein would eventually wind up with the 8-1 victory.

Zwicker and senior Brooke Stull combined to allow just six hits and one run over the duration of the game, walking three and striking out four.

The team then took the field Sunday afternoon in Alliance after Saturday’s doubleheader was pushed back due to cold weather.

Sophomore Casey Clarridge drove in a run to give the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead in the third inning of game one, but the Raiders responded with two runs in the fourth to jump on top at 2-1.

OC then responded to tie the game in the top of the fifth when Clarridge scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman Brittney Kuhn. Clarridge had led off the inning with a triple.

Unfortunately, Mount was able to find a way to score the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh to escape with a 3-2 victory.

Zwicker went the distance for the Cards, allowing three runs on six hits.

The Cards got a run in the first inning of game two, but the Raiders posted eight runs over its first three innings at the plate to take an 8-1 lead by the fourth inning.

Otterbein was never able to generate much offense the rest of the way, as reigning OAC “Pitcher of the Week” Rachel McAninch limited the Cards to just two hits (both by Clarridge) on the afternoon.

Clarridge hit a stellar .692 (9 of 13) on the week, tallying two doubles and two triples to go along with five runs scored. She now sits fifth in the conference with a .447 batting average.

The team will regroup and host Ohio Northern Tuesday afternoon in Westerville before traveling to Denison for a doubleheader Thursday.

The Cards will then conclude the week by hosting Heidelberg Saturday afternoon. Stull will be recognized during pre-game as part of senior day.