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CLERMONT, Fla. – The Cardinal softball team wrapped up its spring trip with five-straight victories over the final three days of competition at The Spring Games, hosted by PFX Athletics.

Otterbein returns home this evening at 8-1 overall on the young season with wins by four or more runs in four games, including a run-rule victory over Saint Mary's (Minn.) this morning.

The Cardinals play in their first game back home next Thursday in a doubleheader against Mount St. Joseph. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Otterbein Softball Field.

Game 5 vs. Cabrini (Won, 6-1)

The Cardinals allowed one run to Cabrini to open the top half of the first inning, but that was all the Cavaliers would get as Otterbein capitalized off a nine-hit affair in which they pushed across six runs.

Otterbein tied the game at one apiece in the third inning after posting a pair of hits which led to a run-scoring double to left field off the bat of junior Rachael Owens.

Owens then sent the Cavaliers down in order to open the fourth frame before the Cardinal offense erupted for three hits, with a total of five baserunners in the inning, to score four runs.

The Cards added an insurance run in the sixth inning following a leadoff single by junior Bailey McElwain, before senior Molly Riggs drove her in on a single up the middle.

Owens collected her third win in the circle going four and a third while allowing just the one run, striking out a trio of Cavs batters and walking just one. Riggs finished with a game-best three hits and a pair of runs batted in.

Game 6 vs. Saint Mary's (Won, 5-4)

Both teams were quiet offensively through the first inning of action before a leadoff single by sophomore Alyson Shaw, who then moved up to second base following a groundout by freshman Courtney Hackney, led to McElwain driving her in on smash up through the middle infield.

The run was the lone one of the inning for the Cards and St. Mary's took advantage of it in its half, plating three runs on four hits to take a 3-1 advantage.

Otterbein quickly responded next frame with a pair of hits of its own, including a two-run triple to left field of the bat of Shaw which scored junior Megan Garner and Riggs.

Both teams plated a run in the fourth inning to keep the score knotted at four apiece, before the Cards tallied the game-winning run in the top half of the fifth inning thanks to a leadoff double from Owens.

Sophomore Gabby Johnson earned her first win of the year in relief of freshman Kasey Morris, who replaced starter Anna Edwards, tossing three and a third innings of one-hit ball with

seven strikeouts.

Otterbein totaled three multi-hit performances in the game, with Shaw posting the best mark with three of her own and a trio of runs batted in. Owens and Riggs each recorded two hits apiece.

Game 7 vs. Hanover (Won, 6-2)

Hanover scored the first run of the game in the top half of the first frame but did not score again until the final inning, as solid pitching and offense propelled Otterbein to victory.

The Cardinals were held scoreless through the first two innings before taking the lead for good on three hits leading to a two-run third inning.

Otterbein added two runs in both the fifth and sixth, compiling six hits, including a rocket off the bat of pinch-hitter Maria Reed in the sixth.

Owens went the distance in the circle for her fourth win of the year, allowing six hits and two runs, one earned, to go along with a season-best five strikeouts.

Four Cardinal players posted a multi-hit game, led by Riggs with three, while senior Tory Speakman, Garner and Shaw each recorded two hits.

Game 8 vs. Saint Mary's (Won, 11-2 in 6 innings)

The Cardinals earned their first run-rule victory of the season in their second matchup of the trip against St. Mary's, exploding for a season-high 14 hits.

Otterbein's scoring effort began right off the bat as Riggs set the table in the leadoff spot by singling up the middle before Owens smashed a two-run home run, her first of the year, over the left-field fence.

Hackney got in on the home-run spree with the first of her collegiate career to leadoff the second frame, blasting a solo shot over the center-field fence.

The Cards totaled five hits in the inning and held a 7-0 advantage heading into the third, before adding a run in the fourth and three more in the sixth.

The sixth inning helped Otterbein distance itself from SMU, as the Cardinals stringed together five-straight hits before recording an out.

Senior Kelly Jackson, freshmen Alyson McAdams and Kasey Morris, as well as Garner and Shaw were responsible for that sequence, while freshman Kayla Queer also posted her first collegiate hit and run batted in with one out in the inning.

Owens pitched just two innings, allowing no hits while striking out a pair of SMU batters, before Morris came on in relief and tossed four innings of six-hit ball allowing a pair of runs, with only one earned, to earn her first collegiate victory.

Game 9 vs. Cabrini (Won, 6-1)

It was a 1-1 tie after the first frame as the two teams combined for five hits in the inning, the Cardinals accounting for three of them including a run-scoring single to left field from Owens.

The Cardinals broke the tie in the bottom of the fourth inning after stringing together a trio of hits, including two-straight with one out that pushed runs across.

A very similar sequence occurred for the Cards in their next frame as four batters reached safely with three hits serving as the majority, while McElwain accounted for a two-run double to left center that scored junior Savannah Sarkine and Speakman.

Otterbein cruised from that point forward, adding another run the following inning before Edwards relieved Johnson for the final three outs. Johnson improved to 2-0 on the year, going six strong innings with a season-high nine strikeouts.