DAYTON, Ohio – Otterbein and Wilmington returned to Day Air Ballpark Sunday morning to play another pair of nine-inning games, although neither contested ended up being exactly nine innings after it was all said and done.

The Cardinals won the first in lopsided fashion, while the Quakers admirably prevailed after a wild 10-inning rematch that featured a bit of everything. The four weekend games were deemed "pre-conference" and will not count toward the official OAC standings this season.

GAME 1: (W 14-1)
Wilmington allowed the Cardinals to plate seven runs in the first inning, through a variety of ways, and that was more than enough damage for Otterbein to play comfortably the entire way. The Cardinals posted 7-2-3-2 across four innings, including a two-run shot from Zak Repar over the right-field fence.

The Quakers manufactured one run midway through, but Otterbein starting pitcher Travis Engard remained solid en rote to five strong innings and the win. He allowed just two hits over the course of his performance.

Kyle Krieger tossed the final pair of frames in what became a shortened contest, escaping a bases-loaded situation in the sixth and then finishing things off in the seventh.

Repar led the way offensively with three RBI, and also came around to score another three himself. Otterbein drew seven walks and also had multi-RBI efforts from Luke Barber, Killian Brewer, Matthew Gibson and Brayden Carter.

GAME 2: (L 9-8)
Neither team brought a run home until the third inning, where the Cards grabbed a 2-0 edge following a pair of RBI-singles from Gibson and Zach Franz. Wilmington got one back in the bottom half, scoring an unearned run after a Cardinal throwing error in the field and ensuing double into the gap.

Otterbein scored three in the fifth (ignited by a 2-RBI double off the bat of catcher Adam Stotler) and then another in the sixth frame on rocket triple from Gibson. However, the Cardinals committed four errors in the field during a chaotic bottom of the sixth, as Wilmington managed to score six times. Only one of those runs was earned.

The Cards appeared to have significant momentum in the eighth with runners on the corners and no outs. Gino Pierro then singled through the right side and brought home Franz, while Repar scooted across the diamond to third. However… Repar was called out due to interference and/or being (controversially) hit with the baseball, and Franz was brought back out to third.

Otterbein ultimately settled for a 7-7- deadlock after a sacrifice fly by Dmitri Collaros. Both teams had baserunners in the ninth, but came up empty as the game headed to extra innings.

Barber put the Cardinals in front, 8-7, on a two-out single… but Wilmington would have the final say. A walk, sac bunt and hit-by-pitch eventually set the stage for Jesse Reliford to poke a walk-off, two-run double that erupted the Quaker dugout.

Ethan Doty, Jackson Wilson and Andy Caddas all had very nice stretches on the mound for Otterbein, combining to strike out 15 batters but also surrendering some free bases and pitching around the defensive miscues. Doty allowed just one hit over four innings as the starter.

Every player in Otterbein's starting lineup tallied at least one hit, as the Cardinals finished with a 17-8 edge in the offensive category. Barber went 4 for 5 and also walked once.

UP NEXT:
Otterbein will have the middle of the week off before getting back to action next weekend, taking on Muskingum in what is currently scheduled to be a home-and-home doubleheader.