Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
OAC Tournament Page

WESTERVILLE, Ohio - The top-seeded Otterbein softball team opened the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament with a 7-1 win over fourth-seeded Mount Union and a 9-1 defeat of third-seeded Capital to advance to Saturday's conference championship game.

The No. 25-ranked Cardinals run their record 33-6 overall and await the results of Sunday's day-one finale between Heidelberg and Mount Union, which will decide who faces Capital in an elimination matchup in game two Sunday morning. Full details of Sunday's slate of games can be found on the tournament page.

Game One

Mount Union took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning on a solo home run off the bat of Jessica Calhoun. Cardinal starting pitcher Gabby Johnson reached a milestone in program history in the inning, becoming the all-time leader for strikeouts in a single season (124), surpassing Angie Lowe's mark of 123 in 2003. 

Otterbein responded in the bottom half of the frame with a run on two hits, including a lead-off single from sophomore Alyson Shaw before junior Rachael Owens tripled to push pinch-runner Chey Rowe across the plate. 

The Cardinals then took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the third inning as they roped together three runs on four hits, with the highlight coming on a three-run homer from junior Bailey McElwain, which scored classmate Maddie Flasco and Shaw.

The two teams went scoreless over the next two and a half frames before Otterbein planted seven base runners on four hits, two walks and an error, which led to three additional runs to help boost the Cards' advantage to 7-1. 

Johnson closed out her 15th win in the circle allowing just the one run on four hits, striking out nine Purple Raider batters and walking none. Shaw, who tallied a game-best three hits, combined with Flasco and McElwain as the Cardinal hitters with multiple hits.

Game Two

A pitching duel was the story of the first five innings of action between the cross-town rival Cardinals and Crusaders, with Capital's Marissa Koss tallying the lone run over that span with a solo homer to left center in the bottom of the third.

The Cardinals, who played as the visiting team in the game, led off the sixth inning with three runs on three hits as Shaw began the rally after reaching base on an error by Capital pitcher Amber Martinelli before moving into scoring position with a stolen base.

Otterbein tied the game two batters later as McElwain singled in Shaw, before junior Megan Garner launched a run-scoring double to left field to plate McElwain. The Cards gained their first lead of the game two hitters later as senior Tory Speakman drew a two-out walk before being pinch-ran for by Kendall Lloyd. 

Owens then made it 3-1 in favor of the Cards after singling in Lloyd from first base on a shot to right center. Otterbein then poured it on the next frame after a brief rain delay and excellent work by the Cardinal field crew, leading to a six-run seventh on four hits and an error.

Flasco, McElwain, Garner, Riggs, Speakman and Owens each posted run-scoring appearances, before Owens, who came on in relief of Johnson following the rain delay, closed out the game allowing just one hit over one and two thirds inning of work.

Johnson improved to 16-0 on the season after tossing seven strong innings and allowing just the one run while fanning two batters and walking two. McElwain and senior Niki Weaver each accounted for a multi-hit game, while three different players notched two runs batted-in.