JACKSON TOWNSHIP, N.J. - - For the first time since 2015, the Wilmington University baseball team has won a single division Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Regular Season Title, defeating Georgian Court, 13-1 and 9-0, on Friday afternoon at the Jackson Justice Complex.
The Wildcats have claimed CACC South Division Regular Season titles in 2022 and 2023, but it's the first full division regular season title since 2015. The CACC split into two divisions from 2018-2025.
Wilmington will now host a CACC Tournament First Round Best of Three Series at Wilson Field, starting on Friday, May 1, as the No. 1 seed.
GAME 1:
A five-run second inning had the Wildcats off and running in the opener, backing the strong arm of Xavier Cortez on the mound. The Wildcats then scored three in the fourth and three in the sixth to put the mercy rule into effect.
Three straight singles with one out in the third inning put the Wildcats on the board, with Stephen Katch collecting the RBI. Now with two outs, Justin Hernandez hit a two-run triple to center field, giving the Wildcats a 3-0 lead. D'Angelo Ponce followed with an RBI single, and Tyler Pirrung added another RBI single for the 5-0 lead.
Brayden Hostetter started the scoring in the fourth with an RBI double and then scored on a fielder's choice by Ponce. With the bases loaded, Brian Klumpp hit a sacrifice fly to give the Wildcats an 8-1 lead.
Cam Trego launched his 10th homer of the season in the top of the fifth and then the Wildcats put it away with a three-run sixth. Brian Klumpp hit an RBI double before scoring on an error on the next at bat. Stephen Katch then singled to left, bringing in Brett Walmsley. Zach Rosenzweig added an RBI single in the seventh, settling the final score, 13-1.
Stephen Katch went 3-for-3 with two RBI while Brett Walmsley went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Tyler Pirrung, Cam Trego, and Justin Hernandez all ended with two hits each. Xavier Cortez is now 6-2 on the year.
GAME 2:
Dylan Potero was up to the task to match Cortez from game one, going six innings while four strikeouts and only allowing three hits to complete the CACC sweep. John Klepacki tossed the final inning with two strikeouts to complete the shutout.
The Wildcats' scoring started in the second with back-to-back squeeze plays, executing them both. Cam Trego hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth and then Stephen Katch launched his second homer of the yea, a two-run shot, for the 5-0 lead.
The fifth inning started with three straight hits for the Wildcats, with Jordan Santiago bringing in Klumpp with a single. Three batters later, Garrett Quinn doubled to right center, bringing home two more for the 8-0 lead.
Brody Gebhard capped the scoring in the top of the sixth inning, hitting a two-out RBI single through the left side to make it 9-0.
Brett Walmsley hit two doubles in game two while Klumpp and Ben Cordrey each hit a triple. Klumpp, Walmsley, Santiago, and Cordrey all finished with two hits each. Dylan Potero is now 5-0 on the year.
UP NEXT:
The scenery shifts to New Castle, Delaware, for the Wildcats and Lions, as they look to complete their three-game series on Sunday at Wilson Field. The Wildcats will celebrate Senior Day on Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 12:00 p.m.