WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Despite facing some stiff tests a week prior, the Otterbein softball team regrouped and earned a split with visiting Heidelberg Tuesday afternoon in Westerville.

The Cards maintained focus to take game one from Heidelberg by a score of 8-4 Tuesday after suffering sweeps courtesy of fourth-ranked Ohio Northern and NCAC leader Denison last week.

Tied 1-1 in the bottom of the third, Otterbein posted a seven-run rally to bust open the game and take an 8-1 lead. Freshman Paige Hamon launched her fourth home run of the season during the spurt.

The Student Princes were able to tack on three late runs, but it wouldn’t be enough as the Cards notched their second OAC victory of the season. As a result, Heidelberg was knocked to 6-7 in league play and on the edge of OAC tournament contention.

Sophomore Natalie Zwicker went the distance on the hill en route to picking up her fifth win of the season.

Freshman Brittney Kuhn brought home leadoff hitter Casey Clarridge in the first inning of game two, but the Berg’ bounced back to score twice in the top half of the second.

Heidelberg then scored four runs in the fourth inning to widen its margin to 6-1.

Down but not out, OC strung together a two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth to close to within two runs, at 6-4.

After Zwicker shut down the Berg in the top of the seventh, the Cards came to the plate needing two runs to tie and three to win.

Clarridge nearly homered after the first two Cardinals recorded outs, but instead wound up on second base with a double.

However, the next batter would strike out to end the game, giving Heidelberg the 6-4 win.

Kuhn and Clarridge combined to go 9-for-12 on the day with five RBI’s and six runs scored.

Clarridge’s individual 5-for-6 effort at the plate on the afternoon was good enough to raise her batting average to .478 on the season.

The team travels to play Baldwin-Wallace on Wednesday before venturing to Marietta for a doubleheader Saturday afternoon.