MARIETTA, Ohio – The bats came (and stayed) alive across a full 18 innings against Johnson & Wales during a lengthy doubleheader at the BSN Sports Invitational, helping Otterbein overtake the Wildcats by scores of 13-9 and 14-6 at Pioneer Park.

The Cardinals smacked around 32 hits combined over the doubleheader with JWU, ridding the unfortunate taste of that extra-inning loss to Eastern Connecticut State on Friday evening. Otterbein moves to 11-5 this spring as a result.

Johnson & Wales, coming off a 30-15 season in which it won the Great Northeast Athletic Conference and then two games in the NCAA Regional, falls back to 5-5 this year despite a challenging slate itself.

GAME 1 RECAP:

• The Cardinals fell behind 6-0 after JWU plated a five spot in the third, but Otterbein still had a chair and plenty of chips to play with over seven full. Max McCann had an RBI-single in the fourth before a tying frame in the next…
   
• Otterbein batted around in the top of the fifth, which saw an RBI-double from Brayden Carter plate the initial run and lead to ensuing hits by Brayden Quincel and McCann. By the time it was done, the Cards were back in the contest trailing 6-5.
   
• Johnson & Wales took that momentum back with three runs in the bottom half, before Otterbein answered with another pair in the sixth.
   
• The Cardinals trailed 9-7 entering the eighth but finished strong with three runs in each of the next to frames. Jamie Perebzak homered to left field and ignited energy, translating to RBI knocks from Gavin Thompson and McCann…
   
• Braydon McCloskey overcame a one-out single to pitch a scoreless eighth, and the Cardinals added three insurance runs to begin the ninth – featuring a huge 2-RBI single from Quincel. Sam Sethna then quickly sat down the Wildcats in order to end the opener.
   
• Quincel hit 4 for 6 to lead a long list of Cardinals showing out offensively. McCann and Thompson both had another three pokes.
   
• McCloskey earned the win behind yet another impressive long-relief effort, allowing just one run over four even. He has surrendered just three runs over his last 17.1 frames, mostly from the bullpen.

GAME 2 RECAP:

• Otterbein held a 4-3 lead across the initial third of the rematch before piecing together some big middle innings, plating a combined eight runs during the fourth and fifth.
   
• Logan Ullom launched a leadoff homer in the fourth, where Noah Sprowls also tripled, and the Cards batted around in the fifth. Sprowls, Quincel and Thompson all doubled in the stretch.
   
• JWU got two back in the next frame, but the previous 12-4 lead would end up being more than enough for a handful of arms.
   
• Freshman Brady Heagen allowed just one earned run over his 2.2 innings of work, while classmate Grady Kehr (earning his first collegiate win) kept the Wildcats scoreless over his 2.2 frames. Senior Nick Plucinski registered a scoreless ninth.
   
• Ullom hit a perfect 4 for 4 in the nightcap while Sprowls was 3 for 4 in the two hole. Perebzak extended his hitting steak to 15 games.

 
ROAD WARRIORS:

The Cardinals are scheduled for another two mid-week games off campus in the days ahead, traveling to Bluffton on Tuesday and then Ohio Wesleyan the following afternoon. Both start times will be around 4 p.m.