NEW CASTLE, Del. - - Tyler Pirrung sent everyone home happy Sunday afternoon, as he hit a 10th-inning walk-off home run to lift the Wilmington University baseball team over Georgian Court 5-4 on Senior Day in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference contest.
Pirrung, a senior, went 2-5 on the afternoon with a pair of RBI, also hitting a run-scoring single in the seventh. The Wildcats are now 34-14, 25-7 CACC, with one game remaining in the regular season.
After defeating Georgian Court 13-1 and 9-0 on Friday, the Wildcats jumped out to another early lead by scoring three runs in the bottom of the first.
Pirrung reached first on a muffed throw by the first baseman with one out, then came around to score after stealing second on a Brian Klumpp single through the left side. Two batters later, Cam Trego singled up the middle to plate Chase Fleming and Klumpp, giving Wilmington a 3-0 advantage.
The bats went cold from there, though, as only two Wildcats reached base over the next five innings on a pair of singles. The Lions used that opportunity to tighten things up, scoring two in the sixth to make it 3-2.
Wilmington finally broke through again in the bottom of the seventh, with Pirrung coming through with a two-out RBI single that scored Justin Hernandez from second to make it 4-2.
The two-run gap would prove not to be enough, however, as Georgian Court was able to score two runs with two outs in the tenth. The inning was prolonged on a swinging bunt up the first base line, with a run scoring and the batter reaching base, and then after another two singles, the tying run crossed the plate to make it 4-4. Scott Borgmann, after tripping while attempting to field the ball up the first base line, redeemed himself by striking out the inning's final hitter to strand runners on the corners and maintain the tie.
Ben Cordrey started the bottom of the ninth with a single and was bunted over to second, but he was caught attempting to move up to third on a pitch in the dirt to end the inning.
After Borgmann set down the Lions 1-2-3 in 11 pitches in the top of the tenth, Tyler Pirrung stepped to the plate to lead off the bottom of the tenth. He worked the count to 3-1, then got an inside fastball that he launched over the left field fence, about 20 feet inside the foul pole, to send Georgian Court home empty-handed.
He was the only Wildcat on the day with multiple hits, and also stole the only base. Fellow senior Trego was the only other Wildcat with multiple RBI, driving in a pair on his first inning single.
It was all seniors on the bump for Wilmington, with Zack Czarnecki starting things off strong with three shutout innings. He allowed a walk, a hit, and struck out four. Steven Mann followed with a scoreless inning, then Ashton Mehler covered an inning and a third, allowing two runs with a strikeout. Scott Borgmann relieved him and covered the final 4.2, giving up two runs on six hits with no walks and six punchouts.
The Wildcats will take a short trip to Hockessin to wrap up their series with Goldey-Beacom, as well as their regular season, on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
