ADA, OHIO -- The Cardinals lost their opening game to John Carroll 5-4 Friday in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament, and were defeated 11-1 in their second game with Ohio Northern University Saturday to eliminate them from the tournament.

Otterbein University (26-16), in just the second OAC Tournament appearance in the last six years, looked poised to earn a victory over John Carroll in their opening game of the tournament. But the Blue Streaks erased a 4-2 deficit in the final two innings of the game to send Otterbein to a 5-4 loss.

John Carroll jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning on just one hit. The Blue Streaks scored on a fielder’s choice and tacked another on the board on a throwing error at the plate.

The Cardinals got on the scoreboard with two runs in the third, highlighted by an RBI double by junior Brooke Albright that tied the game at 2-2.

Otterbein took their first lead of the game in the fourth when sophomore pitcher Maggie McMahan led off the inning with a solo home run. The Cardinals added another run in the frame to go up 4-2 when sophomore Laura Basford laid down a bunt that scored freshman Maggie Zych from third base.

McMahan was lifted from the circle in the sixth for sophomore pitcher Chelsea Burns. The Blue Streaks narrowed the gap to one with Burns pitching with a double that followed a lead-off walk to make the score 4-3.

McMahan returned to the pitchers role in the seventh to try to preserve an Otterbein win. But she put the first two batters on and a one-out single to right field tied the game up at 4-4.

With runners on the corners and one out, the next John Carroll batter laid down a bunt single to score the winning run.

McMahan took the loss against the Blue Streaks, allowing four runs on six hits in 5.1 innings pitched while striking out seven.

The Polar Bears put two on the scoreboard in the second and added another run in the third to take a 3-0 lead through the three innings. After the Polar Bears tacked on two more runs in the fifth, the game was delayed due to lightening. With the lack of sunlight, the game was concluded Saturday, May 6, at 10 a.m.

Otterbein trailed the Polar Bears 5-0 with two outs in the top of the fifth inning Friday when the game resumed. Ohio Northern added six more runs and limited the Cards to only one to pick up an 11-1 run rule shortened win. Otterbein only notched three hits against the Polar Bears in the loss.

Senior Casey Clarridge finished the tournament and her Otterbein career with three hits and became the school's all-time leader in hits (187). She broke the previous record of 186 set by Cari Dean (2000-03). She was also named to the All-OAC Tournament team at the conclusion of the event.

John Carroll defeated Ohio Northern 10-6 in the championship game to earn the automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament.

The Cardinals end the 2012 season as the winningest team in program histroy. The 26 wins broke the program record set by both the 2007 and 2011 teams (24).