WOOSTER, Ohio – Mid-week non-conference games have started to become a little more kind to the Otterbein baseball team recently, and continued Thursday afternoon as the Cardinals flew away to a notable 10-3 victory over No. 7-ranked College of Wooster.

Otterbein, jumping to 15-10 on the year, erupted for eight early runs at Art Murray Field and received quality pitching from a trio of young arms the rest of the way.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Otterbein's first four hitters all reached base en route to a five-run frame, which was prolonged by a dropped fly ball from the opposition. The Cards took advantage as three more batters made their way on shortly after.
   
• Wooster (13-6) got one back in their initial at-bat, but Otterbein countered with a two-out,  three-run homer from rising senior Tim Snyder to left field.
   
• Freshman Travis Burson, sophomore Brad Calhoun, and freshman Braydon McCloskey took it from there in performing admirably on the hill.
   
• Otterbein added insurance runs in the eighth and the ninth for good measure, getting RBI singles from Connor Brett and Dmitri Collaros. Brett's knock kept his hitting streak alive at 12 games.

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

• The lefty Burson allowed just three runs over six-plus innings before giving way to Calhoun, as th sidearmer tossed 3.2 shutout frames to earn his first college victory.
   
• Freshman Braydon McCloskey, rocking multi-colored cleats in his collegiate debut, chucked the final two scoreless frames with a pair of strikeouts.
   
• Collaros had his best offensive game of the season by going a blistering 4 for 5 from the No. 9 hole, and upstart sophomore Matthew Gibson added a 3 for 4 day from the left side of the plate.
   
• Ben Beachy hit 2 for 4 from the leadoff spot in a game that saw a combined 23 runners left on base.
   
• Wooster is the second returning World Series team the Cards have now faced this year after two games with Misericordia on spring break. The Scots are currently 4-0 in the North Coast Athletic Conference.

 
UP NEXT:

Otterbein will return to Fishbaugh Field and host a league doubleheader with cross-town rival Capital on Saturday afternoon, with game times set for 1 and 4 p.m. President Dr. John Comerford will be throwing out the first pitch.