CARY, N.C. - - The Wilmington University baseball team split a doubleheader with West Chester at the USA Baseball Complex on Saturday, winning the opener, 5-4, but falling in the nightcap, 13-2.
GAME 1:
The Wildcats used a four-run bottom of the second inning to jump ahead of West Chester in the opener, hanging on for a 5-4 victory. The Golden Rams scored four in the top of the sixth, but couldn't scratch across the tying run.
Chase Fleming pitched into the sixth inning, earning the win with seven strikeouts and only allowing two runs on three hits. Garrett Quinn got three fly balls in the top of the seventh to earn his second save of the young season.
The offense got going in the second, as the first five batters reached base. Stephen Katch doubled to start the inning and then an error put two on. Zach Frame opened the scoring with an RBI single while Ryan Kiendle and Justin Hernandez followed with RBI singles as well. Tyler Pirrung then hit a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0 after two innings.
A single and an error started the fourth for the Wildcats and then they tacked on a run on an RBI single from Brandon Grygo for the 5-0 lead.
Chase Fleming only allowed two hits through five innings, but then a walk and an RBI double ended his outing. West Chester than walked and hit a three-run homer, cutting the deficit to 5-4. Zach Czarnecki came on and struck out a pair, getting out of the inning. Garrett Quinn then went 1-2-3 in the seventh for the save.
Ryan Kiendle was the only Wildcat with two hits while Pirrung and Katch each had doubles.
GAME 2:
The Wildcats struck first in the nightcap, but the Golden Rams scored single runs in the third and fourth and then broke things wide open with a six-run fifth and a five-run sixth.
The Wildcats got on the board in the top of the second inning. The Wildcats loaded the bases with one out with a single from Kiendle, a double from Zach Frame, and a Cam Trego walk. Brett Walmsley hit a sacrifice fly for the 1-0 lead, but that is all the Wildcats would get in the inning.
A leadoff walk came around to score for West Chester in the third and then they took the lead with an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth. West Chester than collected six runs on seven hits in the fifth, scoring all their runs with two outs in the inning. They tacked on five more runs in the sixth, using three hits and three Wilmington errors.
MJ Phillips hit a pinch hit solo homer for the Wildcats in the top of the seventh, but that's all they could get as West Chester closed out the slip, 13-2.
Chase Fleming had two hits for the Wildcats. Brody Gebhard started for the Wildcats, going 3.1 innings while allowing two runs on three hits with two strikeouts.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats close out their trip to Cary, North Carolina, on Sunday morning. They take on Point Park at the USA Baseball Complex with the first pitch set for 10:00 a.m.