Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

WESTERVILLE, Ohio - The Otterbein softball team made it three-straight seasons with 20-plus wins on Wednesday following a sweep of Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) opponent Wilmington at Rike Field.

The Cardinals (20-8 overall) improve to 7-3 in conference play and, barring inclement weather in the forecast, will host cross-town rival Capital on Saturday afternoon with first pitch set for 1 p.m. 

Game One - Won, 6-1

The Cardinals spread their scoring out in game one, pushing across a pair of runs in the initial inning with the first coming on a double steal by senior Bailey McElwain and junior Alyson Shaw, who was on third base. Senior Rachael Owens added run number two later in the inning with a bases loaded single to put the team up 2-0.

Junior Gabby Johnson dominated in the circle once again for Otterbein, ending the game with nine strikeouts while allowing just one hit. Johnson struck out eight batters through five innings, as the Cards entered their half of the sixth with a 3-0 lead.

Otterbein would tack on three more runs in the bottom of the sixth as a single up the middle by McElwain spearheaded what proved to be the team's largest scoring inning of the game.

Johnson came into the top of the seventh having not allowed a hit before the second batter of the inning singled into left field despite a sliding-catch attempt by Owens who came in from medium depth, but the ball dropped in.

Four additional Wilmington hitters would reach base safely in the frame on three walks and a fielder's choice, before junior Anna Edwards came on in relief for the final two outs of the game. 

Game Two - Won, 6-2

Wilmington gained an early 1-0 advantage over Otterbein after stringing together a pair of hits to leadoff the game, before the Cards responded with five runs in the last half of the third inning to take their first lead of the game.

The big inning in the scoring column from the Cards was ignited by a leadoff triple off the bat of Shaw, before senior Maddie Flasco walked in the next at-bat to put runners on the corners with no outs.

Two batters later senior Megan Garner delivered the game-tying hit with a single through the left side, which scored Shaw, before pinch-runner Maria Herron came around to score later in the frame on a two-out two-RBI double from Owens. 

Freshman Katrina Wierzbicki added to the scoring spree for the Cards with another two-run home run to left field, making it back-to-back hits to boost the lead to 5-1. The homer for Wierzbicki ties her with McElwain, senior Savannah Sarkine and sophomore Courtney Hackney for the team lead with five.

Otterbein would play add on in the fourth inning on an odd play in right field as Shaw singled and then came around to score all in the same sequence as the Quakers committed an error in the outfield which led to the ball bouncing all the way to the fence.

Owens claimed the victory, her seventh of the year, tossing another complete-game allowing two runs, only one earned, to go with three strikeouts. Garner finished the game a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate.