WESTERVILLE, OHIO – The Otterbein University softball team wrapped up its week with a split at Heidelberg University Saturday afternoon, finishing the week at 3-1.

The Cards, who swept Case Western Reserve University by scores of 4-3 and 10-2 on Thursday, now sit at 20-12 on the season and 5-7 in Ohio Athletic Conference play.

The 20 wins is the most for third-year head coach Christine Steines, who tallied 19 victories in 2009 and just seven one season ago.

Case Western erased a 3-0 deficit in game one Thursday by scoring three runs of their own in the top of the seventh inning. However, a fielders choice RBI from junior Casey Clarridge in the bottom of the inning would give the Cards the victory.

The Spartans scored the first run of game two, but Otterbein posted five runs in the bottom of the third inning to vault ahead 5-1. Case tallied another run in the fourth, but the Tan and Cardinal used a grand slam from Paige Hamon in its next at-bat so post another five-run inning.

Kaylee Heemsoth would come on to shut down Case in the fifth inning and preserve the victory.
The team scored twice in the first inning of game one at Heidelberg, which included an RBI single to left field from Kristem Ramer.

The Berg’, however, scraped back to get four runs in the fifth inning and go on to win 4-2.

Otterbein came flying back in game two, taking a 6-0 lead after two innings and eventually playing to a convincing 12-0 win in five innings.

Clarridge hit 2-for-3 with four RBIs in the game, while Laura Basford, Erin Carpenter, and Kayla Woodward also notched two hits in three at-bats.

The team used five pitchers over the five-inning game, with junior Natalie Zwicker getting the victory to improve to 3-0 this spring.

Otterbein still has an opportunity to make a push for a spot in the upcoming four-team OAC Tournament, and will look to finish strong this coming week with league doub leheaders against Baldwin-Wallace College, at Ohio Northern University (make-up from April. 20), and vs. Marietta College.