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WESTERVILLE, Ohio – Led by a walk-off single in game one by sophomore Sean Kettering, the Cardinals earned a split with Capital University Saturday afternoon, winning 2-1 before falling 7-1 in game two at Fishbaugh Field.
Otterbein University moves to 22-14 overall this season, 9-7 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). Meanwhile, the Crusaders improve to 7-9 in league play, 19-15 overall.
Capital got off to a quick start with a run in the first to take a 1-0 lead, but senior David Cydrus stranded runners on second and third to end the inning.
The Cardinals tied up the game when sophomore Billy Harkenrider drove in classmate Chad Webster from second with an RBI-single, to even up the score at 1-1.
The Crusaders appeared to retake the lead in the fourth with a runner on second. After the Capital hitter reached on a bunt he fell over first base, and was tagged. Initially the runner was ruled to be in foul territory, and in the confusion, freshman Nich Pitzer overthrew senior Wes Meadows at third allowing the runner from second to score. The umpires conferenced and determined the runner to have been in fair territory, ending the inning and nullifying the run.
Otterbein had a chance to end the game in the seventh when they put runners on second and third with two outs. Capital escaped the jam by forcing freshman Dylan Holmes to line out to first, sending the game into extras.
The Crusaders left a runner on second in the top half of the eighth which set the stage for the Cardinals.
Freshman Tyler Kent led the inning off with a walk, followed by a single by Harkenrider and an intentional pass to Meadows to load up the bases with nobody out.
With the infield in, Kettering drove the ball up the middle to give Otterbein the walk off victory.
Senior Dom Porretta (2-1) picked up the win on the mound for the Cardinals. He pitched two innings in relief and limited Capital to just two hits, while striking out one.
The second game went to the Crusaders, with the crosstown rival winning 7-1.
Capital scored runs in the first three innings to take a 5-0 lead and chase freshman starting pitcher Adam Collier.
The Cardinals got on the board in the third when Harkenrider singled in senior Scott Staarmann to cut the Crusader lead to 5-1.
Capital recaptured the run with three singles in the sixth to plate one and tacked on another in the seventh to extend the lead to 7-1.
Otterbein was unable to rebound, and went down in order in the bottom of the seventh to end the game.
Harkenrider was the Cardinals best threat at the plate, finishing the twin bill with a 4-for-8 performance and two RBI.
Otterbein is back in action this Wednesday, May 1, for a 4:30 game with Ohio University-Lancaster. Following that the Cards will conclude the 2013 regular season with a conference doubleheader vs. Baldwin Wallace. Both dates are home games.
