CALDWELL, N.J. - - The last at-bats proved crucial for each team in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference cross divisional split on Tuesday, with Caldwell winning game one, 7-6, on a walk-off in the 10th inning and the Wilmington University baseball team winning, 9-4, with a six-run ninth inning in the nightcap at Kiwanis Circle.
With the split, the Wildcats (21-19, 23-11 CACC) will have a rooting interest in the final regular-season doubleheader of the 2025 season, as Goldey-Beacom travels to Felician on Wednesday afternoon. The Wildcats need Felician to sweep Goldey-Beacom in order to host the CACC Tournament First Round best-of-three series this weekend. One Lightning win would clinch the No. 2 seed for Goldey-Beacom.
GAME 1:
The Wildcats scored the tying run in the top of the eighth and then took a 6-5 lead in the top of the 10th frame, but Caldwell (21-26 ,14-22 CACC) answered with two in the bottom of the 10th to walk-off with a win in the opener on Tuesday.
Caldwell left the bases loaded in the first but capitalized in the second. A two-out, two-run homer put the home team on the board and then a first and third play scored another for a 3-0 lead.
Shawn Edevane doubles in Garrett Quinn to put the Wildcats on the board in the third, but the Cougars answered right away with an RBI triple in the home half.
The Wildcats tied the game in the top of the seventh, all with two outs. Chase Fleming hit an RBI single, Shawn Edevane stole home on a first and third play and an error brought in a third run for the Wildcats in the seventh, tying the game, 4-4.
Caldwell answered right away with a go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh, but then Edevane came through again in the top of the eighth. Edevane hit a two-out RBI single, tying the game, 5-5.
The Wildcats left two on in the ninth, but then scored the go-ahead run in the 10th on an two-out infield single from Zach Rosenzweig.
Caldwell had the last say though, starting the bottom of the 10th with back-to-back singles. Another single down the left field line tied the game, 6-6. Now with two outs, another single down the left field line brought in the winning run as Caldwell took the opener, 7-6.
Shawn Edevane batted 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI while Chase Fleming went 3-for-6 with a double.
GAME 2:
Trailing 4-3 going into the seventh inning, the Wildcats erupted for six runs in the top of the seventh, salvaging a split in the CACC doubleheader, 9-4.
Caldwell raced out to a 3-0 lead after the third inning and held a 4-2 lead following the fifth inning. But the Wildcats scored single runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings before erupting for six runs in the top of the seventh to overtake the Cougars.
Cam Trego put the Wildcats on the board with an RBI double in the top of the fourth. Shawn Edevane made it a 3-2 game with an RBI groundout in the fifth, but then the Cougars answered with a leadoff single and double to make it 4-2.
Jordan Santiago hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth to again close the game, 4-3, and Zach Czarnecki left a two-out single on first in the bottom of the sixth.
The six-run seventh started with an RBI double from Sawh Edevane. AJ Tropiano hit an RBI triple two batters later and then Tristan Schoendienst added a two-run single for the 8-4 lead. Jordan Santiago added another sacrifice fly to settle the score, 9-4.
Tyler Reinert came on and struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh to secure the victory.
Shawn Edevane and Cam Trego hit doubles for the Wildcats while Tropiano added a triple. Edevane, Schoendienst, and Santiago all had two RBI each in the match.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats await where they will play Goldey-Beacom in the CACC Tournament First Round series. If the Lightning win one game at Felician on Wednesday, they will be the No. 2 seed and host the Wildcats in the CACC Tournament First Round series. The playoff start with a doubleheader on Friday.