Press Release Written by Nathan Foltz
NEW CASTLE, Del. - - After falling to Chestnut Hill, 10-8, in Game 1, the Wilmington University baseball team bounced back with some late dramatics to take the nightcap, 11-8, in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference opener at Wilson Field on Wednesday.
The Wildcats suffered from some defensive miscues in the first game, as only four of the ten runs allowed by Wilmington pitching were earned. Game 2 looked to be heading for a similar fate with eight walks handed out by the Wildcats' arms, but a five-run bottom of the sixth pulled them back ahead to close out the seven-inning game with a three-run lead.
GAME 1:
Wilmington took the lead early, using a first-inning Cam Trego triple and a second-inning Brandon Grygo sac fly to go up 2-0. The Griffins then had the first of their two four-run innings in the third, scoring all four on two outs with two doubles and a two-run single. The inning could have been over earlier, however, as the second batter of the inning reached on what went into the book as an infield double after a popup at the pitcher's mound fell untouched.
The Wildcats didn't lay down, responding with three runs in the bottom of the frame with a two-out, bases-loaded hit by pitch on Justin Hernandez and a Garrett Quinn two-run single that made it 5-4 Wilmington. The Griffins quickly retook the lead, though, scoring twice on a two-out error in the top of the fourth.
They piled on four more runs in the fifth, none of which were earned despite three bases-loaded walks due to a pair of Wildcat throwing errors.
Wilmington put up a single run in each of the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, but they stranded a leadoff Trego single in the eighth and lined into a double play in the ninth after Zach Frame hit a leadoff single of his own.
Chase Fleming took the loss, allowing six runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks across the first 3.2 innings of the game, though he punched out seven. Scott Borgmann then came on and threw four one-hit innings of relief with six strikeouts, but allowed four walks as Chestnut Hill scored four runs (zero earned) against him. Yoshi Conti and Garrett Overby covered the final 1.1 and combined to hold the Griffins hitless.
Zach Frame went 3-4 with a walk and two runs scored and Cam Trego went 2-5 with an RBI triple and a run. Brandon Grygo, Justin Hernandez, and Garrett Quinn each had two RBI, with Grygo's coming on a seventh inning double. Brian Klumpp and Kyle Lowman also recorded doubles in the loss.
GAME 2:
The Wildcats got on the board first in Game 2 as well, this time with a three-run blast off the bat of Chase Fleming. The Griffins scored two of their own in the top of the second, but two-out RBI singles by Tyler Pirrung and Zach Frame in the bottom of the second gave Wilmington another three runs to make it 6-2.
Both teams went the next two innings without a run before Chestnut Hill hung a crooked number in the fifth, scoring five runs on a double, a three-run homer, and a fielding error. They scored another with a double steal of second and home in the sixth to make it 8-6, putting the Wildcats in a tough spot with only two at-bats left in the seven-inning contest.
They only needed one of those remaining at-bats, however, as they scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth on just two hits. Brett Walmsley got it started with an RBI single, then Brandon Grygo drove in his run with a double in the gap. After Pirrung was intentionally walked, Frame drew his own walk with the bases loaded for a run, then Fleming brought in another on a groundout with Grygo coming around as well on a throwing error by the first baseman.
Garrett Quinn, who got the final out of the sixth, stayed on the mound for the seventh to slam the door shut, picking up two K's and the win along the way.
Grygo (2-4) and Walmsley (2-3) were the only Wildcats with multi-hit efforts in the game, but Fleming led the way with his four RBI. Frame and Pirrung drove in two each as well.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats will take a trip up to Connecticut on Saturday to take on Bridgeport in a doubleheader, with the first game starting at noon. The two will then come back to New Castle on Sunday to wrap up the three-game set, starting at noon as well.