Box Score

ALLIANCE, Ohio – The Otterbein University baseball team opened its Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament with a 5-0 victory Thursday afternoon, scoring early and eventually going on to best second-seeded Marietta College.

The Cardinals, seeded third, advance to Friday's winner's game against host Mount Union at 9:30 a.m. after receiving a dominant pitching performance from junior Craig Prince, who tossed his first-ever complete game as Marietta was shutout in an OAC Tournament for the first time since 2010.

"Craig has continued to grow and wants the ball in big-time situations," head coach George Powell said. "He is a leader, works really hard and pairs that with a tremendous physical ability. As a coach, it's fun to roll a guy out like him and know you have a chance every time he takes the ball."

Otterbein jumped out to a quick lead in the first inning, watching leadoff hitter Ben Beachy get hit by a pitch and then the Pioneers committing a throwing error on a sac-bunt attempt from two-hole hitter Dom Guzzi. The Cards followed with RBI groundouts from Bryan Stopar and Stephan Hernon, and opened a 3-0 lead after a second fielding error with two outs.

"We executed a bunt with Dom (Guzzi) to begin the game and then took advantage of a few Marietta mistakes after that," Powell explained. "After that it was just about trying to move the baseball and add to the lead, because Craig was phenomenal all day."

That score remained the same as Prince was dominant throughout, inducing a flyout to leave runners stranded on the corners in the third and then overcoming a leadoff double in the fifth, Marietta's first hit, by retiring the next three.

"It just builds confidence getting an early lead like that because it provides options on the mound," Prince added. "I didn't necessarily have to worry about hitting every corner and was able to let the defense work behind me."

Otterbein remained relatively sharp in the field, including senior left fielder Brock Frentzel making a diving grab down the left-field line to help to help Prince depart the fourth unscathed.

The Cards extended the lead to 4-0 in the seventh, as Beachy opened with an infield single and eventually scored after Stopar's second RBI groundout. Otterbein capped the scoring in the ninth when Frentzel ripped a grounder that ricocheted off the third baseman, recorded as an infield RBI single.

Prince finished his stellar effort in the ninth, ultimately striking out 11 batters and allowing just three hits in improving to 7-3 on the spring. He only walked two Pioneers and lowered his season E.R.A. to a solid 1.88.

"My stuff was just better today," Prince explained. "The changeup was working early and that helped me keep their hitters off balance. This is a good win to start things off and we are ready to keep moving forward."

Beachy finished the day 3 for 4 at the plate, while Frentzel (2 for 4) and third baseman Connor Brett (2 for 2 with a walk) both contributed multi-hit games.

Otterbein now turns its attention to top seed Mount Union, which defeated No. 4 seed  John Carroll by a count of 5-0 in the opener behind a complete-game shutout from ace Phil Mary. The Cards and Raiders split a doubleheader earlier this season.