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WESTERVILLE, Ohio – Arguably the wackiest baseball season in recent Otterbein history likely ended with one of the weirdest games Sunday afternoon at Fishbaugh Field, as the Cardinals settled for a split against visiting John Carroll… with so much on the line.

Otterbein, having lost 10 games this spring by two runs or less, entered the weekend needing to beat John Carroll all four times to overtake the sixth (and final) spot in the upcoming Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament. The Cards racked up three W's before the Blue Streaks survived a marathon fourth showdown to culminate the wild series.

As a result, Otterbein currently sits seventh in the league standings as seeding measures are being finalized through this unique CoVID season. The bracket will be officially locked in by Tuesday at noon as teams get situated…

Ohio Northern recently canceled its weekend series with Capital due to medical protocol issues, and will make a decision about playing in the OAC Tournament based on outcomes of further testing.

The Cardinals have won pieces of four-straight OAC titles, but will now need some help in order to have a chance at competing for a fifth.

GAME ONE: (W 11-1)
Otterbein carried the momentum from Saturday into the opener Sunday, getting a solo homer from Matthew Gibson and scoring another early on a wild pitch. Luke Barber then helped double up a 3-1 lead in the fifth by launching a two-run shot over the left-field fence.

The Cards erupted to secure a run-rule victory in the seventh, scoring six times to promptly end the contest. Otterbein finished with a 15-4 hit advantage while starting pitcher Travis Engard went the full seven on the mound.

GAME TWO: (L 12-8)
The rematch featured just about everything, beginning with the JCU starting pitcher exiting in the first inning after issuing three walks and hitting another two batters. Otterbein eventually led 4-1, scoring twice in the first and then another pair in a third inning that featured a solo blast from Brayden Quincel.

Things started getting twisted in the fourth, where the Blue Streaks scored five runs and ultimately never trailed again. A two-out rally by JCU in the fifth proved very costly against the Cardinals, as the visitors earned consecutive walks on tight calls around the corners of the plate. That led to a bases-clearing triple after the Cardinal outfield misjudged a fly ball, which fell behind the defense and toward the fence.

Otterbein, playing in front of school President Dr. John Comerford, found itself down 9-4 but started trying to chip away. The offense got two back in each of the next two at-bats, including a two-out rally of its own in the sixth through multiple wild pitches and walks. That spurt trimmed the deficit to just 9-8 with plenty of baseball left.

The Cardinals, with their backs against the wall, then saw admirable efforts from a pair of senior pitchers. Ethan Doty, who started game two Saturday on the road, came on in relief during the seventh. He induced a double-play grounder that would have ended the frame, but the transfer was mishandled and the inning continued. After a pick-off attempt went array, John Carroll somehow departed the inning up 11-8.

Otterbein got its first two runners on base in the bottom half before three outs ensued.

Collin Hoffmann, who pitched six innings of Saturday's opener in University Heights, then entered from the bullpen to start the eighth. He got six outs while fanning three hitters, with the only run crossing from a passed ball on a called strikeout. The fifth-year ace will finish around the top of the Cardinal record books in multiple pitching categories.

The Cards advanced two runners over to scoring position in the eighth, but the effort stalled. Otterbein then had three swinging strikeouts in the ninth as JCU escaped from a game that last over three and a half hours and saw 13 different pitchers.

Grad student Dmitri Collaros, another program journeyman potentially suiting up in his final college game, hit 2 for 4 with a triple and scored twice. Zach Franz reached base seven times on the day as a whole, roping four hits and drawing a trio of walks.

Otterbein walked 12 times in the game collectively (five players walked multiple times) but unfortunately stranded 15 total runners on base.