The Otterbein baseball team lost their final game of the regular season 13-9 to Division I Ohio University (21-27) on Tuesday in Athens. The loss drops Otterbein to 25-13 overall with a 12-6 record in conference play.
The Cardinals finished the season winning 15 of their last 18 conference games, earning them a three seed in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) tournament in Tiffin on Thursday.
The Bobcats jumped out to an early lead with a three-run first inning. OU scored five more runs in the third, putting the Cardinals in a deep hole.
The Cardinals scored one run in the fourth and three more in the sixth inning. However, the Bobcats responded with three more runs in the same inning, making it 11-4.
Otterbein rallied with four runs in the ninth, but it was not enough to close the eight-run lead OU took into the inning.
Tuesday's game saw plenty of offense, with 31 hits, six home runs and 22 runs combined by the two teams. Sophomore Brian Hiscox hit two home runs and three RBIs going 3-5. The two home runs give Hiscox 14 on the season, just two shy of the school record.
Hiscox was confident about the Cardinals performance against Division I pitchers.
"Our hitting is really coming around right now," said Hiscox. "We're not going to see a better pitcher than we did Tuesday."
Senior catcher Aaron Hutchinson also went 3-5 with two RBIs for the Cardinals. Left fielder Guantlett Eldemire led the Bobcats with three hits, a home run and five RBIs.
The Cardinals used nine separate pitchers with none going more than one inning in a game where health for the OAC tournament was paramount to a victory.
"We out hit them," said junior pitcher/left fielder Brandon Gessner. "We just gave up 13 walks and that really hurt us."
The Cardinals will take on two-seeded Marietta today at 1p.m. in the double elimination tournament. Otterbein swept the Pioneers during the regular season, 8-5 and 18-15, in a double header on April 19 at Marietta.
"We couldn't have a better situation going into this game," said Hiscox. "We are looking to hang 20 on Marietta and let the momentum carry us through the tournament."
Gessner reiterated Hiscox confidence. "We are feeling pretty confident after beating them twice earlier this season."
Top-seeded Heidelberg will take on four-seeded Mount Union at 4 p.m. The winners of the first two games will play Friday at 9:30 a.m. The losers will play each other immediately following in the first elimination game. The championship game will start at noon on Saturday and continue as a doubleheader if necessary.
The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the Division III national tournament.
The Cardinals have won the last three OAC tournament championships. "Our team has a lot of experience . . . and we know what it takes to win," said Gessner
Senior pitcher Dan Remenowsky, 5-1 with a 1.71 ERA on the season, will start for the Cardinals on Thursday.
Remenowsky earned OAC Player of the Week for his performance in the first game of a doubleheader with Mount Union last Saturday.
In seven innings of work, Remenowsky shut out the Purple Raiders, scattered five hits, walked one and struck out four.
"Every time he is on the mound, we feel like we're going to win" said Hiscox. "It's very calming as a hitter to know he's out there."
Expect the game verses Marietta to be a high scoring affair. In the two games the teams have played against each other this season, there have been 47 runs scored. t&c;
