Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The No. 20-ranked Otterbein baseball team unfortunately settled for a doubleheader split Saturday afternoon against Capital University, winning 10-7 before a disappointing 5-4 loss at Fishbaugh Field.

The Cardinals, moving to 18-6 overall and 4-2 within Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play as a result, will have a critical week ahead with league doubleheaders at Marietta College on Tuesday and then at John Carroll University next weekend. Both teams made the OAC Tournament last spring.


Game 1 (10-7 Win)

Otterbein took a first-inning lead in game one behind a two-run homer from Pat Birrer, who sent a shot over the right-field fence for his second round-tripper of the year. The Crusaders tied the game with a pair of runs in the third, the first coming on a close call at the plate off a bunt attempt, and the second via an RBI groundout.

The game was later tied 3-3 entering the fourth inning until Capital took advantage of some Cardinal miscues in the field, eventually plating four unearned runs and vaulting ahead 6-3.
Otterbein quickly regrouped in the bottom of the frame, batting around the lineup and scoring six times in a sequence that was highlighted by a 2-RBI double from Bryan Stopar and a go-ahead, two-out, two-run bomb over the right-field fence from Brock Frentzel.

The Cards maintained that three-run cushion after trading runs in the seventh and receiving three solid innings of relief from sophomore Jaryd Murphy, and then turning the game over to closer Caleb Norton in the ninth. The senior, making his school-record 61st career pitching appearance, went a quick 1-2-3 to notch his sixth save of the spring.

Junior Craig Prince improved to 4-2 on the hill, fighting through some tough spots to record seven strikeouts and surrender just two earned runs. Stopar, entering the week ranked third in the OAC in batting average, went 3 for 4 in the game while catcher Stephan Hernon and second baseman Mitch Stotler but went a nice 2 for 3.

Capital leadoff hitter Alexander Smith went a perfect 5 for 5 at the plate.

 
Game 2 (5-4 Loss)

The rematch started moving quickly as starting pitchers Joseph Borkey (Capital) and Stevie Yuran (Otterbein) remained clean after two innings.

The Crusaders (13-10, 3-3 oac) struck first on an RBI-groundout in the third before the Cards answered back, getting a three-run rocket over the left-field fence from Stopar to open a two-run advantage. It was Stopar's fifth dinger of the season.

Capital clawed back and found a way to take a 5-3 lead by the eighth inning, scoring an unearned run in the fourth on a sac fly, two runs in the fifth and then another fielder's-choice bunt in the eighth where a runner beat a throw to the plate once again.

Otterbein had plenty of chances to draw even or take the lead down the stretch, getting runners into scoring position during every at-bat from the fifth inning on. The Cards had men on second and third in the fifth (with no outs) before the inning stalled, and then also advanced baserunners to third in the seventh and eighth.

Capital's defense escaped the sixth inning by inducing a double-play ground ball, the seventh inning by snagging a hard line drive from Birrer to second base, and the eighth inning on a diving catch from centerfielder Jake Foley.

Otterbein didn't go quietly in the ninth, putting the first two runners on base before sacrificing the pair into scoring position with one out. An RBI-groundout from Birrer sliced the deficit to one run, but an strikeout in a 2-2 count unfortunately  left Stotler stranded at third to end the game.

Borkey, who has served as Capital's closer this season with just 16 innings pitched in nine appearances, was making his first start of the season and improved to 3-0 on the mound. Alex Mukensturm earned a save after not allowing a hit over the final three innings.

Yuran fell to 5-2 on the season for the Otterbein pitching staff, which got 4.2 innings of rock-solid relief from freshman Collin Hoffman. Hernon, centerfielder Tim Snyder and third baseman Connor Brett all had two hits in the contest. Three of the six Cardinal losses this season have come by a score of 5-4.