WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Otterbein Baseball team settled for a mid-week split after a pair of nail-biting results in the non-conference scene, prevailing Wednesday at Transylvania before coming up short against Ohio Wesleyan in another one-run game Thursday afternoon.

The Cardinals now stand 14-6 at the midway point of their regular-season schedule, and will have a couple days off to regroup before continuing Ohio Athletic Conference play.

TRANSYLVANIA RECAP (W 6-5):

• The Cards took a 1-0 lead in the opening frame on a Noah Sprowls single, but were held scoreless over the next five innings despite having runners in scoring position during the third, fourth and fifth…
   
• Jamie Perebzak lined into a tough double play in the third, a swinging strikeout left a runner on second in the fourth, and a one-out triple from Ryan Grant went for nothing in the fifth.
   
• Transy used a workmanlike effort in the middle frames to jump ahead by plating solo runs in the third, fourth and sixth.
   
• Otterbein finally cracked through with a two-out rally in the top of the seventh to leap back ahead 4-3. Pinch hitter Jake Brown ignited the sequence with a one-out double before timely base knocks from Noah Sprowls (2-RBI double), Perebzak and Gavin Wolf pushed the Cardinals in front.
   
• The Pioneers countered in the bottom of the inning with two runs, regaining an edge at 5-4 on the scoreboard.
   
• Otterbein swung right back in the top of the eighth after Gavin Thompson drew a leadoff walk and pinch runner Haruki Tada advanced to second. Pinch hitters Minseo Jang (RBI single) and Kody Haubeil came off the bench for key hits, followed by a go-ahead ground rule double off the bat of Brayden Carter.
   
• Reliever Nick Plucinksi, who earned the pitching win, managed to keep Transylvania off the scoreboard in the eighth/ninth despite the (potential) tying run getting into scoring position both times. He fanned a pair of hitters to end the eighth and then sat down the final Pioneer in the ninth on yet another swinging strikeout.
   
• Sprowls reached base all five times in the game, coming on three walks and a pair of hits, while Carter and Wolf both added multi-hit games as well.
   
• Andrew Nemec threw 108 pitches across six full innings as the starter, striking out eight batters before taking a no-decision. Plucinski allowed just one hit over his final 2.2 scoreless, posting another five K's to give the staff a season-high 13.

OHIO WESLEYAN RECAP (L 11-10):

• Another lengthy, three-hour game was in store Thursday after a late arrival back to campus and quick turnaround.
   
• The Bishops found themselves ahead 6-1 midway through the second inning, ripping a two-out single in the first and then plating four unearned runs in the next frame after some defensive miscues by the home side.
   
• Otterbein started chipping away with a few manufactured runs in the middle portion, including a 2-RBI single from Jamie Perebzak, but still trailed 9-5 across the seventh-inning stretch.
   
• The Cardinals finally got to OWU's bullpen in the bottom half, started by a leadoff single from Nicolas Vertikoff and furthered throughout by drawing three walks. Otterbein ultimately jumped ahead with five runs over the hectic stretch… which included two Bishop throwing errors, a 2-RBI single up the gut from Brayden Carter, and sac fly from Perebzak.
   
• Reliever Braydon McCloskey entered in the eighth but soon found himself in a bases-loaded jam (with no outs). However, the fifth-year veteran escaped the situation by securing a 1-2-3 double-play ball followed by a flyout.
   
• The Cardinals were then one out away from finishing the deal in the ninth, but a soft single to centerfield found grass and propelled OWU back in front. Otterbein was retired in order during its final at-bat.
   
• Ohio Wesleyan tallied 18 hits in the game, including seven players with multiple knocks.
   
• Carter, who has hit safely in all but three games this season, and Jake Brown (first-career start) both had two hits for Otterbein. Sam Sethna allowed three runs while grinding through five middle innings of relief.

UP NEXT:

• Otterbein is scheduled to play across town at rival Capital this weekend to continue league play. The doubleheader is currently scheduled for Saturday, although it could be moved to Sunday as a result of pending weather.