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WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Cardinal softball team was swept in its Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) opener by the University of Mount Union, falling 5-4 in game one before losing 4-3 in the second outing at Rike Field Friday afternoon.
The losses drop Otterbein University to 6-6 this season and 0-2 in league play. Meanwhile, the Purple Raiders improve to 2-0 in the OAC, 12-3 overall.
The Cardinals got on the board early in the first game of the twin bill. Sophomore Maggie Zych doubled and stole third base before freshman Bryn Allen drove her in with a RBI-single to put Otterbein on top 1-0 after the first inning.
Mount Union answered with a two-run homer in the second; followed by a 3-run fourth inning that began with a solo home run to go up 5-1 after four.
The Cardinals were down to their final three outs before they rallied to pull within one, 5-4, in the seventh inning.
Zych and juniors Kayla Woodward and Laura Basford all drove in runs with base hits to bring the Cardinals within one run. However, with runners on second and third and two outs, Mount Union halted the rally when senior Erin Carpenter flew out to left field to end the game.
Junior Kelsey Long (5-2) took the loss for the Cardinals, pitching 3.2 innings and allowing all five runs. Junior Maggie McMahan pitched the final 3.1 innings in relief and limited the Purple Raiders to just one hit while striking out four.
In the second game of the double header Otterbein dropped another one-run game, 5-4, to Mount Union.
McMahan started for the Cards and picked up where she left off, retiring the Raiders in order through the first two innings.
The third inning saw the game’s first runs, with Mount Union chasing McMahan after she loaded the bases. The Raiders plated two and took a 2-0 lead headed into the bottom of the third.
Otterbein answered back with a solo home run by Woodward to cut the deficit in half, 2-1, after three innings.
Mount regained their two run advantage with a run in the fifth, but Otterbein evened the game up with a two-run sixth inning that was started by back-to-back lead off hits from Basford and Zych. Both scored on fielder’s choices to send the game into the final inning tied.
Once again the Purple Raiders managed to respond to the Cardinals pressure by notching a winning-run in the seventh.
Basford led Otterbein at the plate, going 4-for-7 with an RBI, two doubles, and two stolen bases between the two games. Both Allen and Woodward knocked in an RBI in each game for Otterbein as well.
Otterbein will return to action this Tuesday, April 2, when they head to Berea to take on Baldwin Wallace University for a pair of OAC games. The first game, previously rescheduled for March 30, will be at 3 p.m.
