PHOTO GALLERY (coming soon)

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – A pair of quality pitching efforts sparked Otterbein to a much-needed sweep on the softball diamond Monday afternoon, with the Cardinals eluding John Carroll by scores of 1-0 and 3-2 in a rescheduled doubleheader from earlier this month.

The Cardinals held off the Blue Streaks in a pair of quick-moving games that each lasted 90 minutes on the dot, getting back to even in conference play at 4-4.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS:

• A full-blown duel in the circle commenced between aces Riley Hamm and Danielle Orendi from JCU, as each hurler kept the opposing lineup scoreless through four and a half innings.
   
• Otterbein broke through with the difference-making run in the fifth as senior Megan Payne launched a solo homer to left-center, before waltzing around to a mob of teammates at the dish.
   
• The Streaks had a prime opportunity to break through and leap ahead in the sixth, with two runners in scoring position and nobody out. But Hamm weathered that mini jam by retiring the next three batters.
   
• JCU then got the potential tying run aboard in the seventh before Hamm responded again, inducing a pair of flyouts to seal the complete-game shutout. She allowed six hits and pitched nicely to contact, needing just one strikeout the entire contest.

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS:

• The rematch featured more scoring (3) in the first inning that all of the opener, as Emma Calkins ripped a 2-RBI double the opposite way and then Rachel Miller followed with her own RBI knock up the gut.
   
• John Carroll got one back in the second when Serena Paterno homered down the left-field line, as the ball hit the top of the fence and ricocheted over. But pitcher Maggie McVicker regrouped nicely from there to cruise into the sixth.
   
• McVicker got into a little trouble in that sixth frame as JCU pieced together a two-out sequence, orchestrating three singles in a row to slice the deficit in half… 3-2. Kiley King entered in relief and promptly got her first batter to fly out to center.
   
• The Cards were unable to add any insurance runs throughout with just one hit after that first frame. But King survived a tight finish as JCU manufactured the tying run to second base in their last effort, before a comebacker to the circle allowed King to quickly throw to Payne at first.
   
• McVicker picked up her fourth win of the spring over her 5.2 frames, totaling five K's and issuing no free bases. King's effort warranted the first save of her college career.
   
• Caroline Heller was 2 for 3 at the plate.

LOOKING AHEAD:

The Cardinals will stay around campus for a busy week on the home diamond, as Ohio Northern is scheduled to arrive for a Wednesday doubleheader. That set could be moved to Thursday depending on weather.