Box Score

POST-GAME PRESS CONFERENCE

RADIO CALL OF THOMPSON HR

PHOTO GALLERY

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – Despite trailing for most of the way, it was the Otterbein baseball team that delivered another gritty and admirable result Thursday afternoon by coming from behind to defeat Ohio Northern, 4-2, on day one of the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament.

Otterbein, the top seed and tournament host, improves to 29-12 on the year and advances to Friday's winner's game against third-seeded Baldwin Wallace at 9:30 a.m. from Fishbaugh Field. The Yellow Jackets routed Marietta, 19-5, to conclude Thursday's action.

Ohio Northern, the No. 4 seed, will take on second-seeded Marietta in an elimination game to start Friday's afternoon session.

The Polar Bears (27-14) opened with a pair of quick runs as Otterbein left-hander Stevie Yuran initially struggled with some control by issuing two walks, two wild pitches and a hit batter. ONU plated an unearned run in the first and then followed with a pair of slow-rolling singles through the left side in the second inning for another.

Yuran settled in nicely but that 2-0 score remained the same for a while as Otterbein's offense couldn't get much going until a rally in the seventh frame. The Cards began with consecutive singles from seniors Pat Birrer and Justin Feltner before a sac-bunt from Tim Snyder. ONU pitcher Nate Bye went to third for a potential force-out but Birrer slide in safely.

Otterbein finally got on the scoreboard when Mitch Stotler drew a bases-loaded walk on a lengthy at-bat, and tied the game moments later after Ben Beachy's sacrifice fly to center field. The Cardinals nearly took the lead on the next play when Tyler Thompson laid down a bunt to bring home a charging Tim Snyder, who slid in head first but was called out after a throw from the first baseman to the catcher, who applied a tag near Snyder's lower half.

Otterbein went to closer Collin Hoffman to begin the eighth, and the sophomore righty kept the score deadlocked at 2-2 until the bottom of the ninth. Beachy came up with a two-out single, and then Thompson played the role of hero by launching a two-run, full-count, walk-off homer over the left-field fence that erupted the home fans and dugout. It was the first long ball of the junior's career.

"I was just trying to put the ball in play and get on base, but made good contact and it somehow flew out… maybe with a nice wind gust today," Thompson said with a huge smile. "This is why you play as a little kid and what the game is all about. Seeing my teammates waiting at home plate was a great feeling and something I will always remember. Hopefully it brings momentum into tomorrow."

Otterbein had nine hits as a team, getting 2 for 4 efforts from both Feltner and Beachy while Yuran ended up going a solid seven innings. He allowed just four hits and one earned run while grinding through each batter.

"We were chasing all game but, in this type of environment, you need people to step up and maybe do something they haven't all year," head coach George Powell said. "Stevie worked hard on the mound and then Tyler lifted us at the end. I'm just proud of our entire team for battling the adversity within the innings and ultimately finding a way."

The Otterbein/BW winner will advance to Saturday's championship game while the loser will need to play a second game on Friday to advance back.