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NEW CASTLE, Del. - - The Wilmington University baseball team took a nonconference game against Bloomsburg on Wednesday, defeating the Huskies 14-4 in eight innings at Wilson Field.
The CACC-best Wildcat offense scored in bursts throughout the game, putting up a four-spot in the fifth and three different three-run innings, which included the bottom of the eighth to put the run rule into effect. Wilmington leads the conference in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, runs, and stolen bases.
D'Angelo Ponce started things off in the bottom of the first with a single through the left side, and then after Tyler Pirrung was hit by a pitch, Brian Klumpp bunted the two over to second and third. MJ Phillips came up after that and blasted a homer to right, giving the Wildcats an early 3-0 lead.
Bloomsburg scored twice in the top of the third, enabled by a pair of Wilmington errors, but starting pitcher Chase Fleming was able to strand two in scoring position thanks to a leaping grab by Garrett Quinn at third.
Wilmington got a little bit more cushion in the bottom of the fourth on a solo shot over the scoreboard by Brayden Hostetter, then scored four more in the fifth to make it 8-2. The runs in the fifth came across on a two RBI single by Klumpp, a bases-loaded walk to Zach Frame, and a sac fly by Hostetter.
After allowing a two-run homer in the seventh, the Wildcats got the runs right back in the bottom of the inning, using a bases-clearing three-run triple by Ben Cordrey to make it 11-4.
The Huskies looked to have some kind of rally brewing in the top of the eighth, loading the bases against Dylan Potero with nobody out, but Potero struck out the next two looking and induced a popout to end the threat without any damage. In the bottom of the inning, an RBI single by Hostetter and a sac fly by Quinn made it 13-4, and then a chopper up the middle by Ponce scored Justin Hernandez from third to end the game.
Ponce led the way out of the leadoff spot, going 4-5 with four singles and an RBI. Cordrey went 3-3 off the bench with a double and a triple, Quinn had a pair of singles, and Hostetter had a base knock to go along with his home run. Cordrey, Phillips, and Hostetter all had three RBI in the contest.
John Grybowski picked up the win, throwing three perfect innings with two strikeouts after Fleming went three without allowing an earned run. Stephen Katch, Garrett Overby, and Dylan Potero covered the final two innings, allowing two runs (one earned).
The Wildcats are off until Saturday, when they'll welcome Dominican (N.Y.) to Wilson Field for the start of their three-game set. First pitch of the doubleheader is slated for noon.