WESTERVILLE, Ohio – It was a resounding sweep on Alumni Day for the Otterbein baseball program, which welcomed back many familiar faces and soared back into the win column after besting Heidelberg by scores of 9-1 and 15-6.

The Cardinals get to 20-7 on the year (6-2 OAC) in controlling another doubleheader, dropping the Student Princes back to 18-9 overall and 6-4 against the league.
The day also featured a trio of ceremonial first pitches from our next generation. Prior to the opening game, Daylen Prescott (son of Adam Prescott, celebrating his third birthday) and Lincoln LaCorte (son of former standout pitcher/coach John LaCorte) took turns throwing to the plate.

Then, before the rematch, Quinn Connor delivered an emotional first pitch in honor of her late father, Pat. The former star outfielder, a 2008 alum, passed away from cancer in 2021 and is survived by his wife and three young children. Quinn (age nine) delivered an impressive first pitch from the dirt of the mound to another program alum and family friend – Aaron Hutchison '08.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS:

• Heidelberg bagged an early run, but Jamie Perebzak (who caught the ceremonial first pitch from Daylen) fittingly launched a two-run blast over the fence in left field and Otterbein would never trail again.
   
• The Cards grinded to give Heidelberg ace Jackson Powers his first loss, with Gavin Wolf ripping a critical two-out, two-RBI single the opposite way in the fourth inning. Perebzak started the frame with a leadoff double and Gavin Thompson moved runners nicely on a perfect sac bunt.
   
• Otterbein used small ball to manufacture another insurance fun in the sixth, and effectively put the game away with a quarter across the plate just after the seventh-inning stretch.
   
• Kyler Archual had more than enough run support in shoving again, working around a few scattered hits to chuck seven strong. He struck out eight batters over his performance before Braydon McCloskey fanned another pair during the final two.
   
• Perebzak was on base four times in the game after also getting plunked twice. Noah Sprowls, unfortunately going 0 for 3 in the game, saw his admirable 16-game hitting streak come to an end. He went on to record a hit and two textbook sac bunts in the rematch...

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS:

• Otterbein led wire-to-wire in what became a lopsided contest late, but started with a trio in the first inning. Brayden Carter was able to cross home after a throwing error to the plate, with Brayden Quincel and Thompson following with RBI knocks behind.
   
• The Cardinals eventually chased 'Berg starter Corbin Caplan back to the dugout in the fourth, but still only led 6-3 after the Student Princes found a little momentum in the fifth after a pair of fielding errors by the home side.
   
• But Otterbein responded nicely with nine runs across the next two innings, which included 2-RBI hits from multiple players including backbreaking doubles down the left-field line from both Carter and Logan Ullom.
   
• Heidelberg stayed within shouting distance after a mammoth home run from Thomas Sauer in the seventh, but Otterbein again responded following the seventh-inning stretch.
   
• Luke Walter went six strong innings to get back to even (2-2) this spring in decisions, allowing just five hits and one earned run. Brady Heagen and Noah Gruver helped take it home.
   
• Ullom, Carter, Thompson, Quincel were a combined 10 for 18 with 11 RBI on the day, while Wolf was responsible for another three coming home.
   
• In the second game, Carter also became the program's all-time leader for most runs scored and now stands with 172 for his career. He passed former All-American Tyler Kent (170) from back during the 2013-16 run.

QUICK TURNAROUND:

Otterbein gets right back on Fishbaugh Field for a rescheduled twinbill come Sunday morning, hosting Marietta College for two more OAC contests at 1 and 4 p.m.