Video Highlights at Bottom of Page
Press Release Written by Nathan Foltz
NEW CASTLE, Del. - - The Wilmington University baseball team outscored Dominican by 27 total runs in a doubleheader sweep on Saturday, defeating the Chargers 15-5 and 21-4 at Wilson Field in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference matchup.
Dominican came into the weekend averaging 8.2 runs per game and second to the Wildcats in most offensive categories, but the Wilmington pitching staff held them to just nine total runs between the two contests. The sweep, coupled with Chestnut Hill taking two over Goldey-Beacom, puts Wilmington in sole possession of first place in the CACC with a 20-6 conference record after Saturday.
Brett Walmsley led the way for the Wildcat offense, going 5-5 with a double, two homers, 3 walks, and six RBI between the two games. Chase Fleming also drove in six runs as he went 5-7 with a homer and two doubles, while Tyler Pirrung went 5-6 and scored seven runs to overtake Christian Adorno for the program record in runs scored at 140 and counting.
GAME 1:
After Dominican scored a run in the top of the first off of Xavier Cortez, the Wildcats shot back with back-to-back four-run innings in the bottom of the first and second. In the first, Brett Walmsley singled through the right side to score two, Ben Cordrey bunted home a run on a squeeze bunt, and Zach Frame brought home Walmsley with a two-out single to left. Then in the second, D'Angelo Ponce got the scoring started with an RBI single, Tyler Pirrung doubled him home, Chase Fleming hit a sac fly to center, and finally, Brett Walmsley capped things with a solo homer to left.
Garrett Quinn had an RBI single in the third, and Fleming hit a solo shot in the fourth to make it 10-2 before Dominican finally was able to hold Wilmington scoreless in the fifth. The scoring drought didn't last long, though, as the Wildcats scored another three in the sixth to make it 13-2.
Dominican was able to chase Xavier Cortez in the seventh by scoring three runs, forcing a bottom of the seventh to be played. The Chargers only recorded one out in the inning, though, as Fleming picked up his fourth RBI of the game on a single to center, and then Walmsley walked it off with an RBI single off the center field fence to trigger the run rule.
Eight of Wilmington's nine starters recorded a hit, and five of them had a multi-hit performance. Brett Walmsley reached in all five of his plate appearances, going 4-4 with a double, a homer, and four RBI. Fleming also drove in four, going 3-4 with a double and a homer of his own. Pirrung went 2-3 with a double, scoring four runs and stealing a base.
Xavier Cortez (5-2) picked up the win, going 6.1 and allowing five runs on eight hits and two walks with a strikeout. Yoshi Conti only needed two pitches in relief, rolling a double play to end the top of the seventh against the only batter he faced.
GAME 2:
The bats kept it going in the nightcap, scoring four in the first and three in the second before sending 15 men to the plate in the third inning to score 11 runs. The highlights of the first three innings included a two-run Brett Walmsley homer over the center field fence, a three-run opposite field homer by Cam Trego, and a two-run double by Tyler Pirrung, which made it 18-0 going into the fourth inning.
Two more Wildcat runs came across in the bottom of the fifth, with the RBIs going to Brian Klumpp on a single through the right side and to Garrett Overby on a sac fly.
The 21st and final run of the game for Wilmington was a loud one, as Brayden Hostetter launched his second homer in as many games played.
The Chargers could only muster a run in the sixth and three and the seventh after Dylan Potero exited the contest.
Potero (4-0) went five shutout innings to pick up the win, allowing three hits and walking four with six strikeouts. He now has a 13-inning scoreless streak across his last three appearances.
Pirrung led the way on offense, scoring three runs and going 3-3 with two doubles and four RBI. Trego got back on track after a 1-15 stretch, going 2-3 with a sac fly, RBI single, and a three-run bomb. Chase Fleming and D'Angelo Ponce also had multi-hit performances, each going 2-2. Fleming scored two runs and picked up two RBI, while Ponce scored four runs and drove in one. Pirrung is now the WilmU program record holder with 140 career runs scored, breaking the mark set by Christian Adorno from 2014-18.
The Wildcats also stole six bases, with Ponce and Pirrung each swiping a pair.
UP NEXT:
The third and final game of the regular season series has been moved to Monday due to rain in the forecast on Sunday. First pitch is slated for noon in New York.