PHOTO GALLERY (coming soon)

BEREA, Ohio – Mother Nature might not quite be undefeated… but the lady sure has first ballot Hall of Fame numbers.

Despite consistent and heavy rain across Thursday afternoon, the show went on to begin the Ohio Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament after the games committee pushed to play on knowing a potential lookahead forecast for Saturday.

Top seed Baldwin Wallace beat Ohio Northern 11-3 to begin the day of nastiness at Fisher Field, before Otterbein and Marietta delivered a wild and wacky thriller after first pitch was delayed a full hour because of the lingering elements.

The No. 2 seed Cardinals led most of the way before Marietta (#3) strung together six runs over its final two at-bats to suddenly lead 7-3 midway through the ninth. In a hectic and admirable conclusion, Otterbein rallied to plate five runs during its last chance and escape with a memorable 8-7 triumph.

The Cardinals will now play BW in the winner's game Friday morning before Marietta and ONU square up in an elimination game during lunch time. A third game will follow based on the outcome of the initial two.

WHAT IN THE WORLD HAPPENED:

• The game saw just four combined runs over the first seven innings before madness erupted across the last two. Otterbein built a 2-0 lead early after a fielder's choice throwing error by the Pioneers and then Brayden Quincel ripping an RBI-single the opposite way to let Brayden Carter cross the plate again.
   
• Kyler Archual kept Marietta off the scoreboard into the sixth inning thanks to three separate double-play groundouts (turned up the middle) and other notable plays from his defense. Caden Kirker made a lunging grab in center fielder early before left fielder Adam Folk threw out a runner at the plate to end the first. Then, midway through the game, right fielder Gavin Wold made an impressive web-gem catch at the wall.
   
• But the Pioneers used a two-out double in the sixth to hit the board, and then moved the baseball in the eighth to deadlocked the game (3-3) after Otterbein replaced Archual with Sam Sethna.
   
• Heavy rain continued falling in the eighth as Otterbein later got a potential go-ahead run in scoring position, but to no avail. Marietta then ripped off a raucous four-run rally in the top of the ninth (all with two outs), featuring a variety of plays and delivering a stunning blow.
   
• The Cardinals impressively shrugged off that gut-punch and soared back with a ninth inning that will not soon be forgotten, starting with Jamie Perebzak and Quincel drawing consecutive walks to begin. Haruki Tada got a nice piece on a groundout that moved both runners over and a 2-RBI double from Wolf sliced the deficit in half… forcing the Pios into a pitching change…
   
• Logan Ullom singled, Adam Folk patiently walked, and Minseo Jang smoked a pinch-hit single the opposite way to bring the Cards within a run and load the bases. Carter promptly singled through the left side to score Ullom and knot the game…
   
• Noah Sprowls stepped into the box (still with just one out) and chopped a grounder over to third base. The bouncing throw home was off line just enough to let Folk slide in safely and erupt the Otterbein dugout. All in all, the Cardinals batted around in the frame.

BOX SCORE BONANZA:

• Archual was not the pitcher of record despite another high-quality start in going seven full across 106 pitches. Sethna was credited with the W and improves to 5-1 this season on the bump.
   
• Austin Ziance also took a no-decision for Marietta albeit providing a six-inning start in which both of his runs were unearned.
   
• Four players had multi-hit games, including designated hitter Gavin Thompson (2 for 4) contributing a timely RBI-single in the seventh that put Otterbein ahead 3-1 at the time.
   
• Otterbein drew eight walks on the day… including three from Folk himself.
   
• Carter, who overcame a scary-looking sequence after slipping at home plate on the wet turf, moved to 241 career hits and within five of the program's all-time record. He also charged in to make a few nice defensive plays following the slip and twist.
   
• The first seven-plus innings of the game lasted under two hours, while the last nine outs took roughly 60 minutes to record in what evolved into a strategic chess match.

UP NEXT:

The winner of Otterbein and Baldwin Wallace advances to the championship, while the loser will have a second crack at making the final against whichever school advances from the first elimination game.