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WESTERVILLE, Ohio -  It was a timely and important conference sweep for the Otterbein baseball team on Good Friday, as the Cardinals took a doubleheader with Mount Union (by scores of 9-7 and 5-3) at Fishbaugh Field.

The Cardinals, improving to 18-6 as a whole this spring, fly over the even mark within OAC play and now stand 4-2 within the league. Mount Union drops to 15-7 this year and 3-3 inside what many expect to  be a rugged conference yet again.

GAME ONE RECAP (W 9-7):

• Otterbein launched the day in style with a leadoff home run from Brayden Carter, and that momentum stayed on the home side with the Cards adding two more in the first.
   
• Pitcher Luke Walter cruised into the fifth inning before encountering a bit of trouble, as the Raiders plated three runs after a defensive miscue and pair of timely singles. But Walter secured the last two outs with the bases loaded to limit the potential damage.
   
• The Cards (ahead 4-3) countered with two insurance runs in the bottom of the frame, thanks to an RBI poke from Zach Franz and Carter getting hit by a pitch with the bases juiced.
   
• Reliever Nick Plucinski secured a pair of swinging strikeouts in the sixth, but Mount found a groove in the top of the seventh to somehow knot the game…. 7-7. A two-run blast, followed by a rocket to left-center with two outs, made it a new ballgame.
   
• Noah Sprowls threw a massive counterpunch after the seventh-inning stretch with a solo, opposite-field homer that reignited the home fans/dugout.
• Otterbein added an insurance run in the eighth and freshman Andrew Nemec, now coming out of the bullpen, kept Mount off the board in the eighth and ninth for his first-career save.
   
• Walter allowed just one earned run over his 5.1 innings of work, while classmate Sam Sethna improved to 5-0 in decisions by facing a few batters just before the go-ahead blast.
   
• Sprowls and Gavin Wolf hit a combined 5 for 8 in the early portion of the lineup.

GAME TWO RECAP (W 5-3):

•  The rematch saw Otterbein play in front once again but, this time, never trail. The Cards built a 4-0 lead after three full thanks to manufactured runs by Franz (sac fly) and Wolf (fielder's choice) along with RBI singles via Carter and Sprowls.
   
• Mount Union kept it very interesting across the middle innings,  plating an unearned run in the fourth on a throwing error and then another in the fifth after Zack Mazza singled through the left side.
   
• Centerfielder Ryan Grant used his speed to track down a few dangerous balls in the gaps to  help keep Mount right where it was on the scoreboard, and the Cards created a little more breathing room late thanks to  Jamie Perebzak smoking a two-out line drive that brought home Grant from third.
   
• The Raiders trailed 5-3 after the eighth before Nemec entered to notch another save, this time overcoming a one-out walk to get the next two (and punctuate the day with a swinging strikeout).
   
• Senior Jackson Peloquin moved to a 4-0 record on the mound after another quality start, needing just 69 pitches over his 5.1 frames of efficiency.
   
• Sprowls had another two-hit performance and now has 39 to his credit this spring, ranking fourth in the league at the moment.

UP NEXT:

• The Cardinals will enjoy the next few days off for Easter Weekend before getting back on the grind next week, traveling to nationally-ranked Marietta for a Tuesday twinbill.