WILMINGTON, Ohio – After six days off with a bad taste in its mouth, the Otterbein softball team got back into the win column Thursday afternoon by sweeping a rescheduled league doubleheader down at Wilmington College.

The Cardinals, winning 4-1 and 6-3, notch two more important Ohio Athletic Conference wins to remain firmly in the mix for a tournament spot. By next week, the top four teams in the standings will square off in the league's postseason event.

SEE FULL OAC STANDINGS HERE

GAME ONE:
A first-inning RBI single by Hannah Lewis brought home Megan Payne… and the Cardinals never trailed again despite waiting a bit to create more breathing room.
Bryn Grabowski had a nice bounce-back effort in the circle by keeping the Quakers scoreless over the initial five innings. Her offense eventually busted through in the top of the fifth, almost batting around and scoring three times in the process…

Three-straight hits from Savannah McCoppin, Megan Payne and Caroline Heller began the scoring sequence, later capped by an RBI poke up the middle from Isa Lewis.

Wilmington mustered one (unearned) run back in the sixth but the lead would be sufficient for Grabowski. She allowed just three hits the entire game, fanned the last two batters and now stands with a 13-4 record.

Heller was 2 for 4 offensively from the Otterbein side.

GAME TWO:
Both teams scored quicker in the rematch by trading two-run frames in the second. Otterbein had a big 2-RBI single to center fielder by pitcher Jess Gunter in the top half before Wilmington answered with its next at-bat, manufacturing an RBI groundout and ensuing base knock up the middle.

The Cardinals punched right back in the third, however, bringing another three across to jump ahead for good. Heller doubled to bring around Payne, and a critical error by the Quakers (after a single from Isa Lewis) allowed a pair of unearned runs to skip across. That pushed Otterbein into a 5-2 cushion.

Gunter worked out of a jam in the bottom of the fourth, operating with two runners in scoring position (just one out) before retiring the next two Quakers. She did now allow a hit over the final three innings and moves to 9-6 this spring.

Otterbein held a 13-3 advantage in total hits, headlined by a 3 for 3 performance from McCoppin and multi-hit games via Heller, Isa Lewis and Taylor Baran.

SENIOR AWARDS:
Earlier in the day, the Athletic Department handed out its 2021-22 senior awards while passing out graduation cords. Although not in attendance, McCoppin and Sage Jenkins were two of 17 individuals landing recognition.

IT'S THE WEEKEND:
The Cardinals will have a big road doubleheader up at John Carroll this Saturday afternoon, with postseason implications on the line. It will also be a Homecoming for Bruce Anderson, who spent the previous eight years as lead assistant and pitching coach for the Blue Streaks.