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WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Cardinal softball team was swept by Ohio Northern University by scores of 7-5 and 6-5 Saturday afternoon at Rike Field.
The losses drop Otterbein University to 0-4 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), 10-8 overall. The wins improve the Polar Bears to 3-9 overall, 2-4 in league play.
The Cardinals were led at the plate by freshman Bryn Allen, who batted 4-for-9 with an RBI and two runs scored. Junior Laura Basford added a 4-for-8 performance at the dish with an RBI, two steals, and four runs scored.
Both games came down to the final at-bat for the Cardinals, as the potential winning run was either on base or at the plate in each contest.
Ohio Northern powered their way to a 7-5 win in the first game of the twin-bill behind a five-run fourth inning.
The Cards held a 1-0 advantage through three innings, but a two-run homer and a three-run long ball in the fourth gave the Polar Bears the lead.
Otterbein chipped away at the deficit with two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth, but Northern added two in the seventh to go up 7-4 with the Cardinals down to three outs.
Basford starting the seventh off with a bunt single and senior Erin Carpenter reached on an error to bring the tying run to the plate. Allen answered the call with a RBI-single to trim the Polar Bear lead to 7-5 with only one down. However, Northern preserved the win by getting the next two batters out.
The second game went nine innings, but it was Ohio Northern that came up with the winning run to secure the victory.
Otterbein held a 5-4 lead headed into the sixth when the Polar Bears plated the tying run. Ohio Northern looked poised to take the lead with runners at second and third and only one out, but junior pitcher Maggie McMahan forced a ground out and a fly out to keep the game evened at five.
Junior Kayla Woodward double to start the eighth inning came just short of a walk-off home run, and junior Chelsea Burns pinch ran and reached third on a sacrifice bunt. The next batter, Basford, flew out to right, but Burns was thrown out trying to score, sending the game into the ninth.
The Polar Bears picked up the go-ahead run in the ninth with a single up the middle to take a 6-5 lead.
The Cardinals had runners at second and third with two outs, but could not score either of them sending Otterbein to the loss.
Otterbein returns to the diamond Tuesday, April 9, for an OAC matchup with Wilmington College. The first pitch of game one is scheduled for 3 p.m.
