Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

WILMINGTON, Ohio – The Cardinal baseball team picked up another pair of Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) wins Tuesday afternoon, sweeping a doubleheader at Wilmington College by scores of 5-0 and 7-2.

Otterbein, advancing to 22-7 overall and 8-4 against the OAC, remains right in the thick of the race amongst the top of the conference standings heading into the final two weeks of the regular season. The top-four teams will qualify for the league's postseason event.

The Cards took a 1-0 lead in the third inning of game one at Wilmington (4-29, 1-11 OAC), getting an RBI-single up the middle from second baseman Taylor Hutchison to snag the lead for good. The contest remained a one-run battle until the sixth frame, when Otterbein scored four times in a stretch that included RBI-triples from first baseman Jake Simmerman and designated hitter Pat Birrer, along with an RBI-single from catcher Stephan Hernon.

The 5-0 margin would be plenty on the mound for senior Jordon Mally, who improved to a perfect 6-0 this season by tossing six scoreless innings. He struck out six Quakers before giving way to junior Robert Kemer, who got the final three innings of work to become the seventh Otterbein pitcher this season to record a save.

Hutchison went an impressive 4 for 5 in the game from his leadoff spot while six other players recorded a hit.

Game two featured a similar theme through four innings until the Otterbein offense got going, plating five runs in the fifth courtesy of RBI from Hernon, Hutchison and left fielder Sam Severance.

Wilmington got one back in the bottom of the inning, but Otterbein added two more in its ensuing at-bat thanks to an RBI-single from Hernon and then an eventual double-steal, where right fielder J.C. Gibson took second and Hernon hustled home to the plate.

Otterbein ultimately prevailed with the 7-2 triumph, moving sophomore Craig Prince's record to 4-1 on the mound this season after the right-hander struck out seven batters, and walked none, over five solid innings on the bump. Adam Collier, KC Brown and closer Caleb Norton all came on in relief to help finish out the day.

Hutchison's bat was on fire in the second game as well, going 3 for 5 at the dish while five other Cardinals tallied two-hit efforts. Hernon finished 2 for 4 with a pair of RBI and runs scored.

Otterbein will close out the week at home, hosting the University of Mount Union in another key conference doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m.