AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Otterbein softball team battled its way through a difficult four-game stretch to open The Spring Games down in Florida, topping Gordon College on Sunday between a trio of very tight/competitive losses.

The Cardinals hit the diamond (on very little rest) Sunday morning after a tough stretch of travel, but pounded the caffeine and hit the Auburndale Sports Complex ready to roll. See below for rundowns of each contest thus far:

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Penn State-Behrend (L 2-1):
The opener morphed into a pitching dual between Bryn Grabowski and Behrend's Kayla Lindberg, who each tossed complete games while keeping their teams alive and well.
PSU-Behrend took early momentum after benefiting from a tough sequence in left field, where a fly ball near the fence was nearly corralled but then deflected over for a solo home run.

Otterbein later faced a 2-0 hole but threw its best punch in the final at-bat, starting with a Megan Payne single and later seeing Taylor Baran rope a double that brought around Kendall Sestili. That put the tying run in scoring position, but a pair of ensuing outs would allow the Lions to escape.

Grabowski struck out 11 (and walked none) despite having to absorb the loss, while Baran hit 2 for 3 at the dish.

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Gordon (W 8-0):
The Cards and Fighting Scots played a scoreless game into the fourth inning after Otterbein unfortunately stranded two runners in scoring position early. Nevertheless, a fourth-inning sequence had Isa Lewis bringing around Sestili…

Otterbein busted the door open after batting around in the fifth, kickstarted on a pair of singles and later featuring 2-RBI doubles off the bats of Sestili and Sydney Clever. The Cards finished off a run-rule performance in the sixth.

The scoring was more than sufficient for Brook Crosby, who entered the circle for relief in the second inning and tossed four-plus innings of scoreless work. The junior was making her first appearance in almost two years after having to miss last spring with an injury.

Caroline Heller hit 3 for 4 offensively while Lewis and Sage Jenkins also enjoyed multi-hit sessions.

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Monmouth (L 3-1):
Otterbein coincidentally played another team nicknamed the Fighting Scots, and fell behind 3-0 this time in the early going. The Cards had multiple runners on base in the first/sixth innings but Monmouth found a way to escape both times…

The lone run came in the seventh once again, this time after Chloe Clark roped a two-out double and was brought home by freshman Jen Sindeldecker. The Cards then saw the bases loaded before a flyout ended the contest.

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Johnson & Wales (L 2-1):
The Cards assumed a 1-0 lead in the second inning after a pair of fielder's choice sequences. Sestili ignited the frame with a walk and stolen base until  Caitlin Wilkins moved the ball to plate a run.

The Wildcats evened the game with a two-out single in the fourth and later strung together a two-out rally in the seventh for a walk-off win, coming on a walk with the bases loaded.

Katie Scheid threw a no-hitter for J&W and Grabowski surrendered just one earned run over her 6.2 innings in the circle.

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UP NEXT:
The Cardinals get back on the diamond Tuesday for another pair of critical games, switch locations to play No. 2-ranked Trine and UMass-Dartmouth at the DiamondPlex.