Gibbons goes 4-for-5, but Otterbein sweeps ONU 11-6, 5-3

WESTERVILLE — Sophomore second baseman Greg Gibbons went 4-for-5 on the day at the plate, but Otterbein gained a doubleheader sweep over the Ohio Northern baseball team on Wednesday at Fishbaugh Field.

The Cardinals used three big innings to win Game 1, 11-6, while a five-run explosion in the seventh propelled the host team to a 5-3 victory in Game 2.

ONU dropped to 14-20 overall and 6-8 in the Ohio Athletic Conference with the losses, while Otterbein improved to 20-11 overall and 9-5 in the OAC.

Otterbein scored four runs with two out in the first inning jump out to an early lead in Game 1.

Brandon Gessner hit a two run single and Sansbury followed with a home run to right field.

Northern answered with three runs in the top of the second.

Sophomore Brett Katana doubled to lead off the inning, while classmate Brandon Hubbard hit a two-run single a few batters later.

Gibbons made the score 4-3 with a RBI single through the right side.

Northern took a 5-4 lead in the fourth as freshman Eric Stegman and Gibbons each had RBI singles.

Otterbein regained the lead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, though.

Aaron Hutchinson scored on a throwing error by freshman catcher Adam Grof and Brandon Mauck hit a home run.

Otterbein added four more runs in the fifth including a three-run home run by Charlie Cahill.

Zach McGrain improved to 4-0 on the mound for Otterbein.

Junior Brian Hill dropped to 2-5 for the Polar Bears as he gave up four earned runs in four innings.

Freshman Eric Stegman hit his first career home run, a solo shot to right field, to put ONU up 1-0 in the second inning of Game 2.

Northern increased its lead to 2-0 in the sixth when freshman Adam Yunker hit a sacrifice fly to score Hubbard.

Ottebrein answered with a five run explosion in the bottom of the seventh, though.

Brian Hiscox hit a two-run single and Cahill smacked a three-run home run, his second HR of the day, to put Otterbein in command, 5-2.

Yunker hit another sacrifice fly in the eighth to score freshman Regan Teague to make the score 5-3.

Michael Taylor pitched a complete game for Otterbein to move to 3-1.

Senior Drew Wieland took the loss for ONU to drop to 3-5.

Katana pitched 6 1/3 strong innings for the Polar Bears, giving up only two earned runs.

Cahill finished the day with two HRs and six RBI.

ONU sophomore Drew Robinson's hit streak ended at 11 games as he went hitless in Game 2 after going 2-for-4 in Game 1.

ONU will honor Wieland, Mark Sankovich and Nick Simoff on Senior Day this Saturday in a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Muskingum at Wander Field.