TUCSON, Ariz. – It was a tough ending despite a productive trip overall at the Tucson Invitational Games for Otterbein, as the Cardinals unfortunately dropped a walk-off result to Hamline College by a 5-4 final Monday morning.

The Cards nearly ran their winning streak to eight games leaving The Cactus State, but instead settle for an 8-2 mark on the trip and 11-3 record as a whole coming back east.

NOTABLE MOMENTS:

• Otterbein appeared ready to score in the first but left two runners in scoring position. The Cardinals broke through in the third on a three-run blast from Brayden Quincel, who cleared fence in left field for a trio of unearned runs against the Pipers.
   
• Hamline worked hard to tie the game over the next two innings. A pair of timely singles up the middle, sandwiched around a sac fly, knotted the score back at 3-3.
   
• The Cardinals vaulted back ahead on another Hamline miscue in the seventh, where a potential double-play ball turned into a throwing error on the attempt to first. Pinch runner Haruki Tada was advancing to third either way, but the errant toss allowed him to trot home.
   
• Hamline drew even in the bottom half of the seventh after a leadoff double began the sequence.
   
• Otterbein saw a prime opportunity in the top of the ninth, loading the bases with two outs before a swinging strikeout halted the momentum.
   
• The Pipers capitalized in the bottom of the ninth after a fielding error put the winning run on second base. Otterbein intentionally walked the next hitter to set up a force, which promptly took place on a double-play ball in the next at-bat…
   
• Hamline came up with one last swing, however, as a two-out poke up the middle brought home the winning run from just 90 feet away.

STAT CHECK:

• Sprowls and Brayden Quincel both had multi-hit games for Otterbein. Sprowls, Brayden Carter and Jamie Perebak all hit safely in every game on the trip.
   
• Luke Perigo allowed just one run over three middle innings of relief but took a no-decision.
   
• Dalton Maxwell earned the win for Hamline after entering in the sixth, where he proceeded to chuck four innings with just one (unearned) run.
   
• Otterbein left 12 runners on base from start to finish in the game.

UP NEXT:

• The Cardinals will land back in Columbus very late Monday night and regroup over the next couple of days, before taking on Kalamazoo come Thursday in a neutral-site game at Marietta. The home opener is scheduled for Saturday against Ohio Wesleyan.