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KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Otterbein University softball team is off to a 3-3 start to their season as the Cardinals passed the halfway point of their spring break trip to central Florida.

Otterbein picked up a victory over Lake Forest College (Ill.) in their opener and has scored a pair of wins over Augsburg University (Minn.) at the Osceola County Softball (OCSB) Complex this past week.

GAME ONE – Otterbein 1, Lake Forest (Ill.) 0 

Senior Erin Carpenter smacked a RBI-double to break a scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth, and junior Kelsey Long tossed a complete game shutout as Otterbein notched a 1-0 victory in their season opening game against Lake Forest Saturday afternoon at the OCSB Complex.

Long went the distance for the Cardinals, limiting the Foresters to five scattered hits. She did not issue any walks in the contest and struck out one to pick up the win.

Otterbein had trouble stringing base hits together as well, as both teams played a solid defensive game in the field.

The Cardinals got on the board in the top-half of the sixth when junior Laura Basford led the inning off with an opposite field double. Carpenter stepped up to the plate with one out and drove another ball to the opposite field gap, scoring Basford, to put the Cardinals on top, 1-0.

Lake Forest look poised to get on the board in the bottom half of the inning. The Foresters led off with back-to-back singles, but a batter’s interference call on a bunt attempt, followed by a fly ball double-play ended the threat.

Long went out in the seventh and retired Lake Forest in order to help the Cardinals earn the win.

GAME TWO – Otterbein 10, Augsburg (Minn.) 9

A wild pitch was the difference in Otterbein’s 10-9 win over Augsburg Saturday afternoon at the OCSB Complex.

The Cardinals loaded the bases with the score evened at nine in the bottom of the seventh with nobody out. Carpenter, at third, scored on a wild pitch to give the Cardinals victories in their first two games of 2013.

Long picked up the win on the bump for Otterbein, pitching 3.1 innings in relief and limiting the Augies to just one run.
Otterbein’s bats came alive against Augsburg, with four Cards notching a multi-hit game. Basford led the way for Otterbein with a 4-for-4 performance, coming within a home run of the cycle, while swiping three bases.

Carpenter (3), junior Kristen Ramer (2), and freshman Bryn Allen (2) all had multiple hits in the victory.

GAME THREE – Rowan (N.J.) 4, Otterbein 2

The Cardinals were dealt their first loss of the season by Rowan University, 4-2, Sunday morning at the OCSB Complex.

Otterbein got into trouble in the first after a leadoff walk was followed up by a RBI-double to give the Owls an early 1-0 lead. A pair of walks loaded the bases up, but a run-scoring fielder’s choice and a double-play limited the damage to a 2-0 deficit.

The Cardinals were down to their final five outs in the bottom of the sixth when Otterbein had runners at second and third with one out. Senior Brooke Albright drove a sacrifice fly to left to get the Cards within one, and Ramer drove an RBI-single to tie the game up at 2-2 heading into the seventh.

Rowan answered right back with a two-run home run in the top of the seventh, and Otterbein couldn’t answer in the bottom half, giving the Owls the win.

Senior Natalie Zwicker was impressive in her first action of the season, but took the loss for the Cards. She went five innings, allowing four hits and the two-run home run.

Allen and sophomore Maggie Zych led the Cards at the plate, as each notched a pair of base hits.

GAME FOUR – McDaniel (Md.) 1, Otterbein 0 – Final / 8

A pitcher’s duel went to the Green Terrors, as Otterbein lost 1-0 in extra innings to McDaniel College Sunday afternoon at the OCSB Complex.

After the Cardinals were unable to drive in a run in the top of the eighth, McDaniel advanced a runner to third on a sacrifice bunt and followed up with a walk-off single to send Otterbein to their second loss of the day.

The Cardinal hitters had trouble handling Green Terror sophomore pitcher Caroline Brehm. She limited the Cardinals to just two hits, while striking out 14 for a complete game shutout win.

Otterbein’s pitchers had an answer for Brehm in the trio of Long, freshman Logan Meddings, and junior Maggie McMahan. After Long shutdown McDaniel for three innings, Meddings retired nine batters in a row in her first appearance as a Cardinal. McMahan entered in the seventh and only allowed the walk-off base hit in 1.1 innings of work, picking up the loss.

GAME FIVE – Otterbein 9, Augsburg (Minn.) 0 – Final / 5

The Cardinals took out some of their frustration from the previous day on Augsburg in their 9-0 “mercy rule” shortened win Monday morning at the OCSB Complex.

Otterbein scored in all five innings en route to their third win of the season.

Five different Cardinals drove in runs in the victory, with seven different players notching base hits.

Otterbein held a 5-0 lead after three innings, and dealt the knockout blow in the bottom of the fourth.  With runners on the corners and one out, Basford launched a ball over the right field fence to put the Cardinals up 8-0. Carpenter added a sacrifice fly in the inning to add to the Otterbein lead, making the score 9-0.

Long retired the Auggies in order in the top of the fifth to end the game. She pitched all five innings to pick up her third win and second complete game shutout of the season.

GAME SIX – Utica (N.Y.) 11, Otterbein 1 – Final / 5

A five-run second inning and a walk-off three-run home run by Utica College sent the Cardinals to an 11-1 loss Monday afternoon at the OCSB Complex.

The Pioneer pitching staff limited Otterbein to just three hits in five innings to deliver Otterbein its third loss of the season.

Utica scored twice in the first, but Cardinal starter Maggie McMahan escaped a bases-loaded jam to avoid further damage.

The Pioneer second presented a similar situation, bases loaded with two outs. However, Otterbein would not escape as easily as before. A bases-clearing line drive to left, followed by a two-run home run put the Cardinals in a 7-0 hole entering the third inning.

Utica added a run in the fourth to make the score 8-0, forcing Otterbein to score in the fifth to extend the game.

The Cardinals answered the call, with junior Kayla Woodward coming up with a two out pinch-hit RBI-single to make the score 8-1.

However, in the bottom of the fifth Utica put runners on second and third with no outs and only needed one run to end the game. The next Utica batter hit a three-run walk off home run to end the game at 11-1.

The Cardinals have Tuesday off and will return to action Wednesday, March 20, when they take on Anderson University (Ind.) at 11 a.m. and Endicott College (Mass.) at 1 p.m. Otterbein will conclude the spring trip Thursday, March 21, with a rematch against McDaniel at 11 a.m. and another game with Endicott at 1 p.m.

For updates during the final four games of the softball team's Florida trip, follow us on twitter @otterbeinsports.