Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

WILMINGTON, Ohio – The Otterbein softball team swept both games of a doubleheader at Wilmington on Wednesday, taking game one 3-0 before posting a run-rule win in game two with an 11-1 victory.

The Cardinals (27-6 overall) have now swept five of their seven Ohio Athletic Conference opponents so far this season, as the team has six games remaining on the regular-season schedule. Otterbein will host Mount Union Saturday in its final home regular-season doubleheader on Senior Day at 1 p.m.

Game One

Otterbein was once again led to victory in the circle by sophomore Gabby Johnson, who tossed her seventh-straight complete-game now with three shutouts over that span. Johnson dealt seven strong innings, allowing just three hits while striking out four Quaker batters to improve to 12-0 on the year.

The Cardinals were held to just one hit through the initial two innings of action before a leadoff double down the left field line by sophomore Alyson Shaw, who then came around to score on junior Megan Garner's two-out single up the middle.

Otterbein pushed across two additional runs the following inning on four hits, stringing together three-consecutive hits while pinch runner Chey Rowe came around for one run after filling in for senior Tory Speakman who notched a lead-off single. Junior Rachael Owens also scored in the frame, proving to be the final run of the contest for the Cards.

Shaw led the Cards with three hits, while Garner and senior Molly Riggs posted two hits apiece to contribute to an 11-hit outing for the team.

Game Two

The Cardinal offense got going much faster in the evening cap thanks to a pair of run-scoring singles by junior Maddie Flasco and Riggs, each part of an inning in which the team totaled three base runners.

Otterbein added two more runs in the third inning behind four hits, with runs batted in credited to junior Bailey McElwain's single to center field and Garner's base hit. The Quakers made a pitching change following the hitting spree by the Cards, which led to one more hit before the final two outs were made.

Wilmington tallied its lone run of the day in the bottom half of the fifth inning after a base runner reached on a fielder's choice by the Cards, before the Otterbein offense erupted the following frame.

Otterbein exploded for seven runs in the top of the sixth inning, led by a triple off the bat of Riggs to start the frame before the Cards amounted six more hits with four of them coming with two outs. One hit came off the bat of pinch hitter Niki Weaver, who singled to right field to drive in pinch runner Kayla Queer.

Owens picked up the win in the circle for Otterbein after going four innings and allowing no runs on four hits, boosting her record on the year to 8-4 overall. Freshman Kasey Morris came on in relief to toss the other two frames, surrendering one run on three hits.

Riggs also reached another milestone among the program leaders, as she moved into sole possession of first-place among the all-time leaders in at bats (469) to surpass All-American Laura Basford's previous mark of 467.