KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Otterbein softball team owns a 4-2 record midway through its spring trip, after a hot 4-0 start to the season. In the circle, Gabby Johnson is currently 3-1 with a 0.69 ERA while freshman Savannah McCoppin has impressed by leading the team with a .526 batting average. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
SUNDAY – Penn State Hazleton (W, 5-1) and Penn State Berks (W, 5-3)

• It only took one inning for the Cards to take the lead, as Kayla Queer singled up the middle to bring Katrina Wierzbicki home for the first run of the season. In the next inning, Courtney Hackney extended the lead to three with a screaming single to the center fielder.
• Johnson and Alex McComb combined for 12 strikeouts, four hits, and one run which came in the seventh inside the circle against Penn State Hazleton. 
• Scoring early and strong pitching once again led the way for the Cardinals, as Otterbein scored in first frame and Edwards worked out of a couple jams in her third college start. Hackney once again stepped up to the dish and drove in two more runs to give the Cards a 4-1 edge.
• Penn State Berks had the tying run at the plate with two outs in the seventh and Edwards was able to record her fifth strikeout. 

MONDAY – Bates (W, 4-1) and Defiance (W, 4-3 F/8)

• Alyson McAdams and McCoppin hit back-to-back doubles to give Otterbein a 3-1 advantage in the fifth, as McCoppin scored shortly after on a Maria Herron hit.
• The game of the trip thus far came in a thriller against Defiance. The action picked up in the seventh inning, as Alyson Shaw tied the game at 3-3 with a sacrifice fly. In the bottom half of the frame, with two outs and the winning run on third, Shaw fielded a rocket groundball and made the play to keep the score tied.
• The international tiebreaker came into play in the eighth, which put Wierzbicki on second base because she recorded the final out in the seventh inning. Advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt, the sophomore had a phenomenal read on a fly ball and tagged up for the go-ahead run.
• Johnson had one out with runners on second and third in the bottom half of the frame and stepped up in the pressure situation by recording back-to-back K's to end the game.

TUESDAY – Muhlenberg (L, 1-0) and Misericordia (L, 6-3)

• Muhlenberg capitalized on one at bat in the second inning from Kristina Qualben who hit a high fly ball to left field which traveled with the wind and left the ball park to score the only run. The Cardinals had their best opportunity in the fifth frame with runners on the corners, as Wierzbicki popped out to the end the inning.
• Johnson took her first loss of the year despite striking out seven batters, allowing four hits and zero walks. 
• Otterbein had a few miscues in the first frame, including a passed ball and a drop-third strike both resulting in runs for the Cougars. Misericordia led 4-3 in the sixth with the bases loaded and zero outs. Edwards struck out the next two batters, but a single to the outfield added two more runs. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORES:

• The Cardinals are 4-0 in games which they score the first run, as five of the six games have seen a team score in the first inning.
• Johnson, 30, and Edwards, 18, have combined for 48 strikeouts in only 39 innings of action.
• McCoppin leads the team with a .526 batting average batting in the nine hole, as Shaw is second on the team with a .455 average in the leadoff position.
• Shaw has recorded at least one hit in every game thus far, including three multi-hit games. The Cards are a perfect 6-6 on stolen bases, with Shaw leading the bunch three steals.
• Penn State Berks has been the only team that Otterbein has face who qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season, as Cora Bridgers who started for Muhlenberg is 3-0 with a 0.30 ERA this season.

 
UP NEXT:
The Cardinals will be back in action on Thursday with its first game coming against Widener at 10 a.m. Otterbein has three more games with its final contest against Plymouth State on Friday at 2:15 p.m. Access the schedule page and stay tuned to our social media outlets for more updates/information.