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WESTERVILLE, Ohio – Otterbein got back on its home field for the first time in almost two weeks Tuesday night, but unfortunately couldn't manage to hold off Wittenberg despite leading with under 20 minutes left in the second half.
 
The Cardinals went ahead at the 54:21 mark on the first-career goal for sophomore Kesley Louderback, but a resilient Wittenberg bunch finished strong with two goals over the final 18 minutes and escaped Memorial Stadium.
 
Each side remained competitive during the first half of play, both entering the day eager to add a win to their record. A total of 17 shots were attempted before intermission, with the Tigers responsible for 11 of those.

The home side nearly took a lead twice in the 31st minute by way of freshman Camryn Earl, who had an initial shot near the right post deflected off the line by a Tiger defender. She then had another shot saved off the ensuing corner kick.
 
Otterbein regrouped at the break and finally put one away off of a set piece during the 55th minute. Anjuli Anderson fired a corner kick into the middle of the 18-yard box. After one quick step off her defender, Louderback connected for a perfect header that landed in the upper left side of the goal.
 
Otterbein carried the lead for the next 15-plus minutes and nearly doubled it up, but shots from Morgan Somers and Anderson were both saved near their respective posts. Refusing to accept defeat, Wittenberg found its equalizer in the 73rd. In a 20-second conversion from goal kick to goal, the Tigers evened the score...
 
The visitors worked the ball downfield before Alex Hill found herself in a one-on-one with a Cardinal defender. Showcasing some nice footwork, she opened up enough space to take a hit around the left side of the Otterbein 18-yard box. The shot flew just high enough to land out of Ella Schwertfager's reach and soared into the back post.
 
Wittenberg secured its game-winner off a goal in the 84th minute from Brooke Mullis, who lined up for a free kick right near the 25-yard line. A shot into play turned advantageous when it cleared the pack and Schwerfager dropped to her knees for a potential stop. However, the incoming ball squeezed between her legs and Wittenberg jumped ahead with 6:47 on the clock.
 
The Cardinals tried pushing forward on a few occasions and their last attempt came with 20 seconds on the board. A corner kick would be snagged by Tiger goalkeeper Badin Clark and the Tigers survived.
 
Both the Cardinals and Tigers remained relatively even across the board, as Wittenberg settled with a narrow 16-15 edge in total shots and both offenses fired six on goal. Otterbein did control the corner-kick battle by earning 10 compared to just three for the opposition.

The Cards will remain at home to close the week, hosting Adrian College come Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. It will be the first match of a men's and women's doubleheader.