NEW CONCORD, Ohio – The Otterbein baseball team was finally able to play its Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) doubleheader at Muskingum University Tuesday afternoon, as the games were postponed three times after heavy rain hit a majority of Ohio across the weekend.

The Cardinals ended up walking away from Mose Morehead Field with a split, as the host Muskies emerged in the opener before a late rally in the rematch gave Otterbein a crucial win. As a result, the Cards now stand 10-9 on the year and 3-1 within OAC play.

Game 1 (Loss 9-5):

Otterbein held a 5-3 lead at the seventh-inning stretch after another quality start on the bump from senior Johnny Putnam, who allowed just three runs (two earned) over six frames. Unfortunately, he would be forced to settle for a no-decision as Muskingum got to the Cardinal bullpen.

The Muskies plated four in the seventh following three base hits, and added two more insurance runs in the eighth to secure a victory. Ben Beachy, Matthew Gibson, Tim Snyder and Chase Collins all had two-hit efforts offensively.
 
Game 2 (Win 10-8):

The rematch would be a back-and-forth affair as the game initially remained scoreless until the fourth inning. Otterbein led 2-1, then Muskingum led 4-2, and then Otterbein jumped back ahead to begin a wild sixth frame.

The Cards scored five runs in the top half, which included a two-run homer from Connor Brett and a two-run double off the bat off Dmitri Collaros. That burst put Otterbein ahead 7-4, but Muskingum found a groove against the Cardinal bullpen once again by countering with four runs in the bottom half.

Otterbein was forced to turn to closer Collin Hoffmann in that sixth inning, as the junior right-hander entered with two runners in scoring position and nobody out. He overcame an early home run to ultimately go the distance with yet another admirable effort.

Hoffmann tossed the final four innings, striking out a whopping nine batters (and walking none) to stymie the Muskie lineup from the seventh on. His effort allowed the Cardinal offense time to compile a rally and erase the slim 8-7 deficit, with all three runs coming in the eighth after loading the bases.

Beachy delivered a sac fly RBI, and Otterbein eventually received a go-ahead 2-RBI single from standout freshman Sam Edgell directly after a Muskie pitching change. He finished the game with two hits, two walks and three runs batted in.

Collins and Gibson had another pair of two-hit contests for a Cardinal lineup that left just six runners on base, compared to 12 for the hosts. Muskingum now stands 6-13 overall and 1-3 against the league.
 
UP NEXT:

Otterbein added a single game with Mount St. Joseph Wednesday evening at UC Health Stadium in Florence, Ky. The Cards will then resume OAC action Saturday on the road, heading to Tiffin for a twinbill with nationally-ranked Heidelberg.