CLERMONT, Fl. — Otterbein opened its Tuesday action with a commanding 8–0 run‑rule victory over Pitt‑Greensburg before closing the day with a 10–4 setback against Haverford.
Game 1: Otterbein 8, Pitt‑Greensburg 0 (6 inn.)
The Cardinals controlled the morning matchup from the start, as
Caitlin Wilkins tripled on the first pitch she saw and scored on
Rachel Miller's sacrifice fly. Otterbein added another run in the fourth before breaking the game open with a four‑run fifth, highlighted by
Amber Bradbury's RBI double and a two‑run single from
Kaylie Eichorn.
Wilkins and Bradbury each delivered again in the sixth to push the lead to eight. Meanwhile,
Kara Mekulsia was dominant in the circle, tossing a three‑hit shutout with five strikeouts and no walks.
Game 2: Haverford 10, Otterbein 4
Otterbein again struck first in the afternoon game, taking a 1–0 lead after Wilkins walked and scored on a throwing error. Haverford responded with a five‑run bottom half and added two more in the second to create early separation.
The Cardinals continued to compete, producing runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh. Wilkins tripled home a run in the sixth, and
Alex Ward added two hits to pace the offense.
Despite the late push, the early deficit proved too much to overcome. Otterbein used two arms in the second game, with
Addison Yoder making the start before
Kiley King entered in relief. Yoder worked 1.1 innings in a challenging opening frame, while King steadied the game from that point forward, covering 4.2 innings and allowing just two earned runs to help keep the Cardinals competitive the rest of the way.
The Cardinals take a day break and return to action Thursday, March 12, against Penn State Behrend at 1:45 p.m. and Western New England University at 3:45 p.m.
