ALLIANCE, Ohio – What could have been a split ended up resting as a tough sweep on the diamond for Otterbein in league action Saturday afternoon, with the Cardinals dropping very competitive games of 7-3 and 7-6 up at Mount Union.

The Cardinals take their first adversity of the conference slate and see their nine-game winning streak snapped as a result, falling back to 18-7 overall and 4-2 within the OAC.

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS:

• Jamie Perebzak gave the Cardinals an immediate 2-0 lead in the first, launching a ball over the fence that brought around Noah Sprowls after his infield single. The Raiders then got both runs back in their first at-bat.
   
• An RBI-groundout from Brayden Quincel pushed Otterbein ahead 3-2, but that lead was short lived as the Raiders posted four runs in the bottom of the third.
   
• Otterbein had a runner on base in most every frame moving forward, but couldn't generate much more against Raider ace Zachary Breeden in being held off the scoreboard over the final six innings.
   
• Kyler Archual (5-1) got touched up a bit in taking his first loss of the season, with reliever Braydon McCloskey tossing three shutout innings late to keep the Cards hanging around.
   
• Perebzak and Brayden Carter both had multi-hit games.

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS:

• It seemed Otterbein was ready to salvage a split in the rematch, opening a 6-0 lead by the middle of the sixth inning behind a nice start on the mound from Bryson Bell…
   
• Consecutive doubles from Noah Sprowls and Perebzak in the fourth helped create separation, and then RBI smacks from Perebzak and Gavin Thompson further extended that cushion in the sixth.
   
• Things began going awry in the bottom half of that frame after a pair of fielding errors, which led to three doubles on the home side that eventually brought around four runs. All of a sudden, it was a 6-4 game…
   
• Sam Sethna came on in the seventh to try and protect the lead, but four walks in the frame would allow the Raiders to draw even.
   
• Otterbein had a potential go-ahead run on second in the eighth before a backwards K ended the sequence, and Mount took the lead for good in the bottom portion after more small ball and single up the middle. The Cards had a tying run in scoring position again in the ninth after pinch runner Caleb Bond stole second, but the push would come up just short on a 3-1 groundout.
   
• Bell took a no-decision after 5.1 solid innings, where he did not allow an earned run. Sprowls and Perebzak combined to hit 5 for 8 in the contest.

NEXT WEEK:

Otterbein is scheduled to get back on the diamond Wednesday afternoon with another important doubleheader, hosting Marietta College for games at 1 and 4 p.m.