Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

NEW CONCORD, Ohio – The Otterbein baseball team secured its spot in the upcoming Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament on Sunday afternoon, breezing past host Muskingum University by scores of 14-3 and 12-1 at Mose Morehead Field.

The Cardinals, finishing the regular season at 28-12 overall and 11-7 against the conference, will be the third seed in next week's four-team bracket and open play against second-seeded Marietta on Thursday at 3 p.m.

Mount Union, having recently won its first OAC regular-season since 1970, will serve as the tournament host at 23rd Field in Alliance, Ohio. Visit the full tournament website HERE.
 
Game 1 (14-3 Win)

The Cards immediately jumped ahead following two-out RBI hits from catcher Stephan Hernon and third baseman Connor Brett in the first inning, giving starting pitcher Craig Prince an early cushion.

Prince was perfect the first time through the Muskie order, ultimately sitting down 11-straight batters to open the game as Otterbein added to its lead in the middle innings.

The Cards scored three times in the fourth inning, coming on a double-steal sequence from Christian Chiero and Brett, an RBI-single from Tim Snyder and then a Muskingum fielding error in which Tyler Thompson hustled all the way around from first base.

Otterbein busted the game open in the fifth, receiving four-consecutive hits from Brett, Brock Frentzel, Chiero and Snyder en route to building an 8-0 advantage. The offense, finishing with 17 hits, added insurance runs during the sixth, seventh and ninth frames in coasting to victory.

Prince improved to 6-3 with another dominant effort, this time allowing just two hits and walking none over a six-inning performance. Freshman Collin Hoffman threw a perfect seventh and eighth in relief.

Brett went 4 for 5 at the dish, accompanied by Snyder hitting 3 for 4 and shortstop Ben Beachy also ripping three hits from the leadoff spot.

 
Game 2 (12-1 Win)

Otterbein plated multiple runs in the first inning yet again, this time vaulting to a 3-0 edge after an RBI groundout from Hernon, Bryan Stopar scoring on a Muskie throwing error, and then Frentzel rocketing an RBI-single to right field.

The Cards extended the lead to 5-0 with runs in the second and fifth, the former happening on an infield RBI single from Beachy and the latter coming via a two-out single down the left-field line from Hernon's bat.

Otterbein starter Stevie Yuran, allowing just one hit through four innings, found a little trouble in the fifth after loading the bases with two outs and then hitting a batter. Sophomore Johnny Putnam helped escape the jam, entering to swiftly strike out the next batter to keep Muskingum at arm's length.

The Cardinals quickly responded in their next at-bat, with right fielder Pat Birrer delivering a two-out, two-RBI single to center field directly after a Muskie pitching change that bumped the margin to 7-1.

Putnam tallied a strikeout with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, classmate Jaryd Murphy came on for relief in the seventh and Otterbein blew the game open in the eighth with five runs, seizing a 12-1 lead and never looking back.

Birrer and Stopar both hit 3 for 5 at the dish while Snyder also turned in a multi-hit game. Putnam was credited with the win after going an inning-plus in relief, striking out three of his six batters faced.