Box Score
Post-Game Press Conference
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ADRIAN, Mich. – The Otterbein baseball team swallowed a tough and disappointing loss to begin the NCAA Mideast Regional Thursday night, relinquishing a late 5-3 lead in the eighth inning as host Adrian College rallied to win by a score of 11-5.
The Cardinals, seeded second in the eight-team bracket, now transition to the consolation section where they will meet No. 6 seed Ithaca College (N.Y.) in an elimination game Friday at 1:15 p.m. The Bombers opened their stay with a 5-1 loss to La Roche.
Adrian, ranked No. 25 in the latest national poll, advances to 34-10 this spring and will take on La Roche in a winner's game Friday under the lights again at 7:45 p.m.
The Bulldogs took an early lead in the second inning with a two-out, two-strike single up the middle as Cardinal lefty
Stevie Yuran nearly escaped. Adrian then widened the gap to 3-0 in the fourth on more two-out hitting, as Tristan Richardson and Jordan Torrento both delivered singles to right field.
Otterbein (30-15) responded immediately in the bottom of the fourth against Adrian's All-American Tommy Parsons, beginning with singles from
Luke Barber and
Connor Brett before a sac-bunt attempt from
Justin Feltner was mishandled by the third baseman.
Tim Snyder promptly put the Cards on the board with a 2-RBI single to right field moments later.
Another sacrifice bunt from
Pat Birrer moved two runners in scoring position with just one out, but
Mitch Stotler popped up and then a rocket from
Ben Beachy was tracked down by the Bulldog center fielder.
Yuran secured a huge swinging strikeout in the top of the fifth, and then Otterbein vaulted ahead in the bottom on a towering 2-run blast over the left-field fence from
Luke Barber. It was only the second homer given up by Parsons all season.
Otterbein took a 5-3 lead later in the sequence after a throwing error from the third baseman, and Yuran went unscathed in the sixth by inducing a lineout with two runners on. He let out a yell and fist pump upon leaving the mound, capping his solid outing in which he surrendered just two earned runs over 111 pitches.
Relievers
Jaryd Murphy and
Jake Walters combined to toss a scoreless seventh before the Cards went to closer
Collin Hoffmann to start the eighth. Otterbein would unfortunately encounter trouble, dropping a pop fly by the initial batter and watching Adrian ultimately cross three unearned runs in the rally. Both the game-tying and go-ahead hits occurred with two outs and two strikes.
The Bulldogs carried that momentum into the ninth by loading the bases with no outs, forcing Otterbein into a handful of pitching changes and crossing five more runs to pull away.
Beachy, Barber and Thompson all had two hits for a Cardinal lineup that posted nine as a team. Parsons threw a whopping 140 pitches in going the distance for Adrian, improving to 11-0 on the mound despite tying a season-high five runs allowed.
Live stats/video links for Friday's game against Ithaca will be posted as soon as they are generated and become available.
