TUCSON, ARIZONA—The Otterbein University softball team closed out its appearance in the Tucson Invitational Games strong, winning five of its last six games while scoring 10 or more runs in each of those five wins.

Otterbein, 6-4 overall, is scheduled to open Ohio Athletic Conference play at Muskingum, 5-8 overall, Saturday in New Concord. Game time is set for 1 p.m.

“We’ve played quality teams down here, played well, which sets us up well for conference play,” said third-year head coach Christine Steines. “This was a team effort. We were strong throughout the lineup offensively and defensively.”

As a team, the Cardinals batted .349 on the week while the pitching staff sported a low 2.17 ERA.

“We are right where we want to be right now,” Steines said. “This team learns fast.”

Which is a good thing. The Cardinals start three freshmen, which include Laura Basford in center field; Jami Litzke in left field; and Rachael Puthoff and Kayla Woodward splitting time at third base. In addition, a trio of freshmen, including Kelsey Long, Chelsea Burns and Maggie McMahan, combined to pitch 50 of the 58 innings played in Tucson.

Eight Cardinals, led by junior right fielder Casey Clarridge, are batting .320 or better. Clarridge leads the pack with a .621 batting average and a 1.000 slugging percentage. She has six doubles and 18 RBIs. Sophomore catcher Erin Carpenter checks in at .441 and leads the team with 19 RBIs. Carpenter hit for the cycle in a 17-0 win over Carleton. Basford is hitting .438.

Long led the pitching staff in innings pitched with 26 1/3 in Tucson. She finished the trip with a 3-4 record and a 2.13 ERA. She struck out 17 while walking 10 batters. McMahan went 2-0 and did not allow an earned run. Burns finished 1-0 with a 2.69 ERA.