NEW CONCORD, Ohio – It was an important day for the Otterbein baseball team to stay alive in the postseason chase, and that's exactly what a gritty Cardinal team did (on the road) by sweeping host Muskingum via counts of 13-6 and 9-4 Saturday afternoon.

As a result, the Cards jump to 9-7 within a rugged Ohio Athletic Conference as just two league games remain on the slate. Otterbein is currently one game back of John Carroll for the fourth/final spot in the upcoming postseason tournament.

STANDOUT STATS:

• Otterbein smacked around 34 hits across the doubleheader, including a season-high 20 in the opener. Brayden Quincel hit a perfect 5 for 5 in that contest and launched his OAC-best 12th home run.
   
• Cardinal pitchers did a nice job working out of some tricky situations, leaving 19 Muskies stranded on base over the day.
   
• Gavin Thompson, back playing on the field he grew up around as his father (Gregg) coached Muskingum for 28 years, enjoyed a nice Homecoming by hitting safely three times in each game.
   
• The freshmen trio of Luke Walter, Andrew Nemec and Sam Sethna played critical roles once again, accounting for both pitching wins and a three-inning save.

GAME ONE MOMENTS:

• Muskingum scored one run in each of the initial four innings, but still trailed as Otterbein delivered a five-finger discount in the second. Brayden Carter dropped a smooth bunt single in that sequence and Quincel later poked a 2-RBI knock up the gut.
   
• The Muskies stayed close with a pair of solo homers in the middle innings, but the Cards flexed their muscle right back. Quincel launched one over the fence in the seventh and Thompson added a two-run blast moments later.
   
• Sethna relieved Walter with a 9-4 lead in the bottom of the seventh and took it home for his second save of the year.

 
GAME TWO MOMENTS:

• The game was deadlocked 3-3 after two innings, where Muskingum struck first until Otterbein responded with a delicious three-piece combo. Zach Franz and Nathan Weita contributed RBI hits before Ryan Grant moved the baseball for a sac fly.
   
• Neither team scored over the middle portion until Logan Ullom put the Cards ahead (albeit briefly) with an RBI double in the sixth… but the Muskie countered to tie the game at 4-4.
   
• It would be all Otterbein from that point at the bats woke up once again. Ullom and Grant reached base to begin as the Cards would manufacture runs via a fielder's choice, pair of sac flies and then Franz smoking an opposite-field double down the left-field line.
   
• Nemec took over for Jackson Peloquin in the sixth and allowed just one hit the rest of the way, facing two over the minimum to receive the win. He entered with the game tied 4-4 after Peloquin went 5.2 frames as the starter, settling in after a bumpy start.

 
LOOKING AHEAD:

• The Cardinals will enjoy graduation on Sunday before traveling to Washington & Jefferson for a non-conference game on Tuesday. Wilmington is the last remaining OAC twinbill for the Cards next weekend as Otterbein will need to sweep, and hope John Carroll loses both the league-leading Baldwin Wallace.