SEWANEE, Tenn. — The Otterbein baseball team dropped both games of its season-opening doubleheader at Sewanee (Tenn.) on Saturday. The Cardinals took a narrow 4-3 loss in seven innings the second game after falling 6-0 in the first game.

The Basics

• Records: Otterbein (0-2 overall), Sewanee (6-0 overall)
• Venue: Montgomery Field - Sewanee, Tenn.
• The second game of the doubleheader was scheduled for seven innings instead of nine.

Otterbein Stat Leaders - Game 1

• Senior Logan Ullom led the Cardinals with two hits, recording a pair of singles.
• Senior Max McCann and sophomore Lance Preston each recorded a single for Otterbein.
• Sophomore Grady Kehr got the pitching start for the Cardinals and allowed four earned runs on four hits and three walks while striking out four over four innings.
• Junior Sam Sethna pitched three innings in relief and allowed one earned run on two hits and one walk while striking out one.

Game 1 - Sewanee 6, Otterbein 0

• Sewanee opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning following a leadoff walk. The Tigers added a one-out RBI single and later loaded the bases with two outs before Kehr struck out the next batter to end the frame.
• Sewanee added three more runs in the bottom of the third via an RBI groundout and 2-RBI single to take a 4-0 lead.
• The Cardinals recorded their first hit of the game in the top of the fourth inning following a one-out walk to graduate student Jamie Perebzak when Ullom singled to right field.
• Otterbein put runners on first and second with two outs in the top of the sixth after McCann singled and advanced on a walk to Perebzak but was unable to score.
• The Tigers added a run in the bottom of the seventh on a two-out double followed by a single and Otterbein error, increasing their lead to 5-0.
• Sewanee loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth and drew an RBI walk to cap the scoring.
• Preston hit a two-out single in the top of the ninth and advanced to second base on a passed ball before freshman JT Gels struck out to end the game.
• Sewanee out-hit Otterbein 6-4, and each team committed one error.

Otterbein Stat Leaders - Game 2

• McCann led the Otterbein offense with two hits and added two stolen bases.
• Gels, Preston and Stevie Monokandilos had one double each.
• Perebzak and senior Zac Taylor each tallied a single and RBI.
• Junior Luke Walter got the pitching start for the Cardinals and allowed one earned run on three hits and four walks while striking out two over three innings.
• Sophomore Brady Heagen allowed two unearned runs on one hit and three walks while adding three strikeouts in two relief innings.

Game 2 - Sewanee 4, Otterbein 3

• Otterbein opened the scoring in the top of the first inning after a leadoff double from Monokandilos. He advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a single from Perebzak.
• Sewanee tied the score on a two-out RBI sac fly in the bottom of the second inning.
• After two scoreless frames, Otterbein added a run in the top of the fifth after a leadoff double from Preston, who later scored on a Sewanee error. McCann added a two-out single and stole second but was stranded.
• The Tigers took the lead, 3-2, with two runs in the bottom of the fifth via an RBI fielder's choice and RBI single in back-to-back at-bats.
• The Cardinals answered with a run in the top of the sixth to tie the score. Tayor followed a one-out double from Gels with an RBI single.
• Junior relief pitcher Andrew Nemec induced a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth, and McCann reached base when he was hit by a pitch with one out in the top of the seventh. But the Tigers retired the next two batters to keep the score tied at 3-3.
• After a leadoff walk in the bottom of the seventh, the Tigers added a bunt single and advanced the runners to second and third on a fielder's choice. An RBI sac fly from the next batter scored the winning run.
• Otterbein out-hit Sewanee 8-5 and committed two errors to the Tigers' one.

Notables

• Named the OAC Player of the Year and CSC Second Team Academic All-America in 2024, Perebzak is tied for ninth all-time at Otterbein in hits (191) and ranks fifth in doubles (42), 11th in home runs (20) and third in RBIs (167).
• Ullom has 74 hits in 100 career games at Otterbein.
• Head coach George Powell is in his 26th year at Otterbein and has an all-time record of 608-422-1 at the helm of the Cardinals. He is a six-time OAC Coach of the Year honoree and has coached the Cardinals to three OAC regular-season championships and six OAC Tournament titles.