HOCKESSIN, Del. - - A 12-run seventh inning helped the Wilmington University baseball team earn another split with 18th-ranked Goldey-Beacom on Sunday, dropping the opener, 12-7, before winning the nightcap, 18-4, on Sunday at Doyle Field.
With the split, the Wildcats (30-18, 22-10 CACC) remain a game behind the Lightning (33-15, 23-9 CACC) in third place in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference South Division. The top two seeds host the CACC Tournament First Round best-of-three series next weekend.
It is the 11th time in the Wildcats' NCAA era that they have won 30 or more games, but the first since the 2022 season.
GAME 1:
After tying the game, 3-3, in the top of the third, the Wildcats allowed six straight runs to take a 9-3 lead after the sixth inning. The Lightning scored at least one run in each inning starting with the bottom of the third.
Trailing 3-0, Kody Clausius hit one to right that landed and snuck by the right fielder. Clausius raced all the way around to third, scoring the two runners in front of him. Clausius then came home on a sacrifice fly from Shawn Edevane, tying the game, 3-3.
But the Lightning answered right back in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run homer, and then added three more runs in the fifth on a pair of two-out RBI singles.
The Wildcats tried to cut into the deficit in the seventh, scoring two runs with RBI from Josearmando Diaz and Nick Classie, but the Wildcats left the bases loaded as they could only close to within 9-5.
The Lightning answered right away once again in the bottom of the seventh, getting the two runs back. Brandon Grygo hit a sac fly and Nick Classie walked to bring in a run in the eighth to get it to 11-7, but they again left the bases loaded. A wild pitch allowed the Lightning to score a run in the bottom of the eighth to complete the scoring, 12-7.
Shawn Edevane had two doubles in the game, going 2-for-4. Zach Rosenzweig and Kody Clausius also added two hits in the game with Nick Classie contributing two RBI.
GAME 2:
The Wildcats were able to start fast in the nightcap, earning the Sunday split, as well as the series split, to stay a game behind the Lightning in the South Division standings with two games to play in the regular season.
Zach Rosenzweig remained hot, hitting a two-run homer with two outs in the first to spark the split. A two-out rally in the third produced a run, as Chase Fleming singled in Edevane for the 3-1 lead.
A three-run fourth added to the lead, as Brandon Grygo hit a two-run single and Rosenzweig added another two-out RBI single to make it 6-1. Goldey-Beacom cut into the deficit with a two-run homer in the fifth and a leadoff triple in the sixth to close the gap to 6-4.
The Wildcats blew it wide open in the top of the seventh, scoring 12 runs. Zach Frame, Garrett Quinn, and Cam Trego all had RBI singles in the inning while Josearmando Diaz and Frame were hit by pitches to force in runs. The big blast came off the bat of Tristan Schoendienst, hitting a grand slam to make it 17-4. Brandon Grygo added one last RBI double to close out the scoring, 18-4.
Brandon Grygo, Zach Frame, and Garrett Quinn all had three hits, while Zach Rosenzweig and Fleming had two each. Tristan Schoendienst led with four RBI while Rosenzweig and Grygo had three each.
Steve Schenning went the first 4.1 innings while allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits. He improved to 2-1 with the win. Brandon Grygo went the final 2.2 innings, allowing a run on three hits, earning the save.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats' regular season comes to a close on Tuesday afternoon as they travel to Caldwell for one final CACC doubleheader. The first pitch of game one is set for 3:00 p.m.