FORT MYERS, Fla. – A challenging stretch of games continued for the Otterbein baseball team mid-week during its annual spring break trip, which transitioned from the Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte to the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic beginning Wednesday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Cardinals got back on the diamond Wednesday against Saint John's (Minn.) but weren't able to hit the scoreboard, falling 6-0 as Johnnie right-hander Jake Dickmeyer tossed a complete-game shutout.
- Both teams combined for just nine hits, as SJU took a 3-0 lead in the second inning and added a few insurance runs as the game progressed.
- Otterbein responded nicely to pick up a strong win against NCAA regional team Alvernia (Pa.) on Thursday, getting a dynamite pitching effort from the upperclassmen duo of Johnny Putnam and Collin Hoffmann.
- Tim Snyder delivered an RBI-single in the second frame to begin a three-run sequence, as Connor Brett scored on the same play after an errant throw by Alvernia. Adam Stotler then lofted a sac-fly to score Snyder.
- Luke Barber led off the fourth with a towering home run to left field, and Putnam eventually exited the game in the seventh inning after throwing over 100 pitches. He struck out five and walked just one.
- Hoffmann took it the distance from there, shutting down the seventh with two runners on base and ultimately securing his first save of the season. His efforts helped Otterbein exact a little revenge on Alvernia after falling, 6-3, to the Golden Wolves last year in Fort Myers.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORES:
- Dickmeyer, the reigning Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Pitcher of the Year, worked incredibly fast to keep Otterbein hitters off balance. He had nine strikeouts, and no walks, across 31 batters.
- Cardinal hurlers Killian Brewer and Chris Sparks were admirable in relief against Saint John's. Brewer allowed just one hit over four innings while Sparks came on with the bases loaded in the eighth. He sat down three-straight hitters and then retired the side in the ninth.
- Barber reached base all four times in the Alvernia contest, going 3 for 3 with a walk, single, double and the round-tripper. Tyler Thompson added a three-hit day while Tim Snyder, the team leader in batting average so far, was 2 for 3 with a pair of runs scored.
- Hoffmann, a first team All-OAC and third team All-Region closer, was unhittable in relief as he struck out six of his eight batters (five swinging) and walked just one.
- Otterbein's strength of schedule remains potent as Saint John's (33-8) and Alvernia (28-15) are both coming off strong campaigns last spring. Both are defending regular-season champions in their respective leagues, and the Johnnies currently stand 8-0 right now.
UP NEXT:
Otterbein will have two games at nearby Terry Park spanning Friday and Saturday, beginning with a matchup against U.S. Merchant Marine at the main stadium. The Cards will then play Augustana on Saturday before returning to the Player Development Complex Sunday afternoon, concluding the trip against Vassar. All game times from here on out are scheduled for 12 p.m.
