Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio – The Otterbein University baseball team opened Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) with a doubleheader split Tuesday afternoon against 22nd-ranked Marietta College, winning the opener before allowing the Pioneers to get even in the rematch.

Otterbein, moving to 12-3 on the season with the results, pulled out a 1-0 victory to begin the day before suffering an 8-2 loss to finish. The games were played at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe after several attempts were made to play at Marietta's field (wet conditions).

The Cardinals received their best pitching performance of the season in game one off the right arm of sophomore Robert Kemer (2-0), who struck out 10 Marietta batters, scattered just five hits and allowed no runs over 6.2 innings of work.

Otterbein tallied the eventual difference-making run in the third inning, getting a sacrifice fly to right field from reigning OAC Hitter of the Week Tyler Kent, scoring Mark Walton after he led off the frame with a double.

The Pioneers made their biggest threat to score in the seventh, getting a lead-off double before loading the bases with two outs. Fortunately for the Cards, senior Taylor Ellis came in to get out of the jam and keep Marietta scoreless.

Otterbein attempted to add an insurance run in the next at-bat, but couldn't take advantage of the first two batters reaching base as the inning would eventually stall. Sophomore closer Caleb Norton would ultimately shut down Marietta in the ninth, overcoming an infield throwing error to pick up his third save of the season.

Marietta ace Christine Herstine was almost as good as Kemer throughout, going the distance and allowing just the one run on five hits. He walked three and struck out four.

The Pioneer bats seized an early lead in game two, getting three first-inning hits to score a pair of runs, followed by another two in the second. Otterbein sliced the deficit in half during the top of the fourth, getting a 2-RBI double from Jake Simmerman after successive hits from Kent and Sean Kettering.

Marietta found some breathing room in the sixth, taking advantage of two initial Otterbein errors in the field to load the bases with no outs.  The Cardinals did their best to get out of the situation, but not before allowing four runs to cross the plate.

Otterbein got a lead-off double from Ty Compton in the seventh frame, but could not get much else going offensively the rest of the way in settling for the split. Complete box score from game two will be posted as soon as possible.

The Cardinals are scheduled to play Wednesday afternoon on the road, traveling to Case Western Reserve (5-7) for a 4 p.m. start time.