Westerville, Ohio - After DePauw gained the lead in the top of the eighth, host Otterbein regained it in the bottom of the frame and held on for an 8-7 win over the Tigers. DePauw dropped to 9-19, while Otterbein improved to 13-19. 

Carter Knoll put the Tigers on the board in the top of the first with a solo homer before Nolan Whitehead singled home Louis Florida in the second.

Otterbein's Trae McAninch evened the score with an RBI double in the second and a run-scoring single in the fourth.

DePauw regained the lead in the fifth as Max Bond singled, scoring Cooper Davis. The Cardinals responded with three in the bottom of the inning with Nolan James scoring on a wild pitch before McAninch delivered a two-run single to give the hosts a 5-3 advantage.

Nolan Whitehead's solo homer in the seventh closed the gap to 5-4 before Nolan Osterling drove in Carter Knoll with a single in the eighth and Whitehead knocked in a pair with a double to give the Tigers a 7-5 lead.

The Cardinals, however, regained the lead for good in the bottom half of the inning as James singled home Jamie Perebzak and Charlie Greenlief drove in Logan Ullom with a sacrifice fly before James scored when Gavin Scott reached on a fielder's choice. The Tigers were retired in order in the top of the ninth.

Whitehead had three of DePauw's 11 hits, while Bond and Knoll finished with two apiece. James had four of Otterbein's 14 hits with Perebzak and McAninch chipping in three apiece and Calvin Mabry adding a pair.

Josh Heitert dropped to 1-2, while Joey Conrad improved to 1-0.

The Tigers return to North Coast Athletic Conference play on Wednesday, April 16, when they host fourth-ranked Denison in a Noon doubleheader.