Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
ALLIANCE, Ohio – The Cardinal softball team opened Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play with a doubleheader split Saturday afternoon, earning a 3-1 victory in game one before a 3-1 loss to the University of Mount Union in game two of the day.

Otterbein, now 6-5 on the season, will return home to host three-straight doubleheader next week for its first action at Rike Field this spring. First on the slate will be a Tuesday matchup with Kenyon College, beginning at 3:30 p.m.

The 3-1 victory at Mount Union came behind another strong pitching performance from freshman Lizzy Snodgrass, who struck out four batters and allowed just one run while going the distance. She now sits 5-1 on the season.

Otterbein took the early lead thanks to an RBI-single from Kristen Ramer in the first, but the Purple Raiders responded to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning.

The Cards jumped ahead for good in the middle innings, getting RBI-singles from Kelsey Long in the third and Courtney Hanna in the fourth en route to victory.

Otterbein grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third inning of game two before Mount Union plated three runs in the ensuing at-bat, which included a two-run homer from Leigh Siedlak.

The cushion would be enough for Mount to hold on down the stretch and notch the split.

Laura Basford, Molly Riggs and Maddy Shelley all tallied two hits during game two for the Cardinals, who got a full outing on the hill from senior Maggie McMahan. She surrendered just five hits in six innings despite picking up the loss.

After Tuesday's matchup with Kenyon, Otterbein will host Transylvania University on Thursday afternoon before a Saturday twinbill with crosstown-rival Capital University.