Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
Photo Gallery

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Otterbein baseball team picked up a doubleheader sweep in non-conference action Saturday afternoon, winning by score of 5-1 and 7-4 on the road at Transylvania University.

The Cardinals, improving to 9-2 on the season, will not play the originally scheduled third game tomorrow with Transylvania due to projected inclement weather. Otterbein will instead be back in action Wednesday at nearby Ohio Wesleyan University.

Otterbein jumped ahead early in game one, getting an RBI-double from reigning Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) "Hitter of the Week" Tyler Kent in the first and then another RBI from left fielder Brock Frentzel in the next inning.

The run support was enough for another strong pitching outing by the Cardinals, led by five shutout innings from starter Robert Kemer, who picked up his first win of the season. He struck out eight batters, walked just one, and scattered only five hits on the day. Jordon Mally and Caleb Norton came on in relief to help seal the deal.

Otterbein added a few insurance runs late in the game to create a cushion, including a 2-RBI double from third baseman Dom Guzzi in the seventh that scored Frentzel and shortstop Ben Beachy.

Frentzel, designated hitter Christian Chiero and second baseman Taylor Hutchison all tallied multi-hit games in the first outing.

The second matchup became an early pitcher's duel between Otterbein sophomore Craig Prince and Transylvania's Trey Simpson, with the game remaining scoreless entering the fifth inning.

Otterbein took control from there, beginning with an RBI-groundout from Beachy followed by a solo home run from Kent in the sixth frame. Simpson answered with a solo shot for the Pioneers in the bottom of the sixth, but the Cards immediately countered in their next at-bat when Dom Guzzi launched his first-career home run, making the score 3-1.

Otterbein opened up the game in the eighth inning, getting 2-RBI doubles from Beachy and second baseman Mitch Stotler that pushed the margin to 7-1. Transy attempted to strike a comeback over its final six outs, but closer Caleb Norton came in for the Cards in the ninth to quickly retire three batters and notch his second save of the young season.

Beachy hit 3 for 5 with three RBI in the second contest while Frentzel added two hits of his own. Prince turned in his second-straight impressive outing on the bump, allowing just two hits and striking out seven batters over his 6.1 innings of work.

Assistant Coach John LaCorte guided the team throughout the day in place of head coach George Powell, who stayed behind in Ohio to take care of a slight medical issue. Powell, currently with 394 career wins, looks to soon become the eighth coach in OAC history to amass 400.