Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – The Cardinal baseball team got back into action after a week-long break Sunday afternoon, slipping past host Wittenberg by a score of 6-5 in non-conference play at Carleton Davidson Stadium.

Otterbein, now 10-4 on the season after its sixth-straight win, will play another road game at nearby Ohio Wesleyan this Wednesday before launching Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play Saturday at Mount Union.

The Cards took an early 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly from Pat Birrer, but Wittenberg opened strong with three runs during its first at-bat. The Tigers later held a 4-1 advantage before Otterbein fought back to draw even in the fifth, getting an RBI-single from Connor Brett followed by a two-run blast from senior catcher Justin Feltner. It was the first homer of his college career.

Otterbein maintained the momentum and jumped ahead for good in the next frame, using a 2-RBI single off the bat of Tyler Thompson to grab a 6-4 lead. He and shortstop Ben Beachy both hit 3 for 4 on the day.

The Tigers (3-10) kept it very interesting down the stretch, scoring off a wild pitch in the seventh inning to make it a one-run game and then putting two runners aboard in the eighth. Otterbein lefty Stevie Yuran fortunately escaped that mini-jam following a double-play lineout.

Wittenberg then singled to begin the bottom of the ninth against Otterbein closer Collin Hoffman, but the Cards would once again prevail after getting the lead runner at second base on a sac-bunt attempt and then watching Hoffman strike out the next two batters. It secured his second save of the season.

Senior Craig Prince took the win after allowing four runs in five innings, with Yuran then tossing a solid three frames of relief in bridging to Hoffmann. The Cards had 14 hits in all, with Feltner and Brett joining in on the multi-hit efforts.

Wittenberg's Matt Baker went a perfect 5 for 5 at the top of the Tiger lineup while Jordan Jolly drove in two runs. Both teams left eight runners on base.