Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ADA, Ohio – The Otterbein baseball team launched its 2017 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) schedule in promising fashion Saturday afternoon, sweeping a doubleheader at Ohio Northern University to begin its title defense.

The Cardinals, situated No. 20 in the most recent ABCA poll and No. 21 in the D3baseball.com/NCBWA rankings, won the OAC regular-season outright last year behind a 14-4 mark against the league.

Game 1 (9-4 win)

Otterbein (14-4) took an early lead in the first inning with an RBI-single from catcher Stephan Hernon, but the host Polar Bears responded to ultimately hold a 2-1 lead after four frames.

The Cardinals blew the game open with a monster fifth inning, beginning with a lead-off home run from Brock Frentzel, his fourth of the season, and then watching the lineup bat all the way around to plate eight runs.

Ohio Northern (8-9) made two pitching changes to try and stop Otterbein's fifth-inning charge, which saw infield singles from Tyler Thompson and Ben Beachy following Frentzel's home run and then another round-tripper from Hernon midway through. When it was all said and done, the Cardinals had sent 13 batters to the plate.

The 9-2 lead was comfortable behind reigning OAC 'Pitcher of the Week' Craig Prince, who turned in a seven-inning performance in which he struck out seven batters and allowed just two runs. He is now 3-1 on the season with a 1.71 E.R.A.

Eight players recorded a hit in the game, led by two-hit showings from Hernon and leadoff man Tyler Thompson. ONU got a 2 for 4 game from center fielder Jason Burket but was forced to use six different hurlers on the mound.

Game 2 (Win 4-2)

The rematch followed a similar script to begin, with Otterbein scoring in the first inning thanks to an RBI-double from designated hitter Bryan Stopar before the Polar Bears posted two runs in their second at-bat.

Otterbein stayed the course behind left-hander Stevie Yuran and ultimately vaulted ahead for good in the fifth behind a 2-RBI double from Pat Birrer, who entered in the third inning for Thompson in right field. Birrer later added an insurance run on a sac-fly that scored Frentzel, who led off the inning with a bunt single.

Yuran encountered some trouble in the seventh with the bases loaded and two outs, but senior closer Caleb Norton entered and promptly retired seven-straight batters to finish the game. Norton secured his fourth save of the season with the effort while Yuran moved to 4-1 on the bump, striking out eight Polar Bears as part of another admirable performance. He now boasts a 1.14 E.R.A over five starts.

Birrer and Stopar both had two hits, with Birrer ripping two doubles and driving in three runs for the best game of his season.

Otterbein will be back in action early next week, traveling to Tennessee for a doubleheader matchup with Maryville on Tuesday. The team will return to OAC play next weekend, hosting Baldwin Wallace for a two-game affair come Saturday at Fishbaugh Field.