FORT MYERS, Fla. – Jacob Barker's (Windsor HS, Severance, Colo.) homer leading off the bottom of the first was all the offense Augustana could muster against three Otterbein pitchers Saturday morning, as the Cardinals downed the Vikings 3-1 at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic. Otterbein improved to 6-5 on the season, while Coach Greg Wallace's outfit dropped to 2-4.
 
The Cardinals tallied their only run off Augustana starter Sam Cregan (Air Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.) in the first. Gino Pierro drew a one-out walk, stole second and came around to score on a two-out single to right by Sam Edgell.
 
The Vikings tied in in the bottom half, when Barker homered down the left field line leading off. Otterbein starter Collin Hoffmann set the next three batters down without incident.
 
Both hurlers settled in and put up goose eggs for the rest of their respective stints. The Cardinals threatened in the third, but Cregan picked a runner off and left two more stranded. He left two runners each stranded in the fifth and sixth before exiting in favor of Josh Chamberlain (Legacy HS, Thornton, Colo.). Augustana's best threat against Hoffmann came in the sixth, but the Vikings left two runners on.
 
Pierro and Edgell again teamed up to give Otterbein the go-ahead run against Chamberlain in the top of the seventh. With one out, Pierro doubled to right and he scored one out later on Edgell's single to center.
 
The Vikings loaded the bases with no outs against reliever Andy Caddas in the eighth. Brett Benedetti (Cherry Creek HS, Greenwood Village, Colo.) led off with a single, Jake Huber (Lockport HS, Homer Glen, Ill.) walked and Mitchell Owens (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) was hit by a pitch. However Travis Burson came on and fanned two straight batters before coaxing a Matt Helms (Palatine HS, Palatine, Ill.) flyout to end the inning.
 
In the top of the ninth, Pierro doubled with one out, stole third and scored on a throwing error to make it 3-1. Burson pitched around a one-out walk in the bottom half, striking out the final two batters to earn his first save of the year.
 
Hoffmann got the win to improve to 2-0 on the season. He surrender just four hits and a run in seven innings, walking two and fanning a dozen. Chamberlain fell to 1-1 with the loss. Cregan scattered seven hits in six innings, walked three and struck out nine.
 
Pierro finished 4-for-4 and scored all three Cardinal runs. Edgell was 3-for-5 with two RBI.
 
On Wednesday, March 11, Augustana visits Illinois-Chicago for a 4:00 p.m. exhibition against the Division I Flames. On Thursday, the 12th, the Vikings travel to Jacksonville, Illinois to face Illinois College in a twin bill starting at noon.