NEW CASTLE, Del. - - The Wilmington University baseball team swept a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader from Lincoln on Wednesday, winning game one, 16-3, in seven innings before walking off with a 6-5 victory in game two at Wilson Field.
The win allows the Wildcats to keep pace with Goldey-Beacom atop the CACC standings. The Wildcats are now 24-10 overall and a game-back of the Lighting with a 16-4 conference record.
GAME 1:
The Wildcats cranked out 18 hits and scored in all but one inning in the opener on Wednesday, putting the mercy rule into effect for the seven-inning victory.
The Wildcats scored three in the top of the first, getting a two-run single from Cam Trego. D'Angelo Ponce doubled in a run in the second inning and the Wildcats led, 5-0. The Wildcats broke it open in the bottom of the third, scoring five more runs. Brayden Hostetter doubled in a run while Garrett Quinn added an RBI single. Tyler Pirrung doubled in two runners, making it 10-0.
Hostetter, Quinn, and Pirrung were at it again with RBI in the fourth inning, with Quinn adding a pair, making it 14-0.
Brody Gebhard launched a pinch hit homer in the sixth for his first collegiate base hit and then Kyle Lowman capped the scoring with an RBI single, making it 16-1.
Brayden Hostetter was a homer shy of a cycle, batting 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored. Garrett Quinn went 3-for-4 with four RBI while Tyler Pirrung went 3-for-3 with three doubles and three RBI. Ponce and Trego each had two hits as well.
Chase Fleming started on the mound and went five innings, striking out eight batters while only allowing a run on four hits. Zach Frame pitched a scoreless sixth before Ashton Mehler struck out the side while allowing two runs in the seventh.
GAME 2:
The offense wasn't quite clicking like in the opener, but the Wildcats were able to tie the game in the fourth and walk-off in the seventh for the sweep, 6-5.
The Lions scored first in the nightcap, hitting a solo homer in the second. Garrett Overby put the Wildcats on the board in the second with an RBI single and Ben Cordrey made it a 3-1 game with a squeeze bunt.
Lincoln scored a run in the third and then hit a three-run triple to take a 5-3 lead in the top of the fourth.
A passed ball brought Diego Zerpa home in the fifth and then Ben Cordrey tied the game, 5-5, with an RBI double inside the third base bag. Garrett Overby singled and advanced to third on an error to start the bottom of the sixth, but he was thrown out at the plate trying to score, as the game remained tied, 5-5, going to the seventh.
Scott Borgmann needed only eight pitches to get through the top of the seventh and then MJ Phillips hit a one-out single off the pitcher's upper arm. Now with two outs, pinch runner D'Angelo Ponce stole second and kept running to third as the ball got past the catcher. The ball got away yet again on the very next pitch, allowing Ponce to trop home with the game-winning run, 6-5.
Ben Cordrey went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI while Garrett Overby went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. John Grybowski struck out six in three innings. Ryan Kiendle pitched a scoreless fifth while Scott Borgmann improves to 3-0 with two scoreless innings.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats remain in CACC play for their next contest, as they welcome Post to Wilson Field on Saturday afternoon. The first pitch of the doubleheader is set for 12:00 p.m.
