WALTHAM, Mass. - - Three home runs helped the No. 4 seed Wilmington University baseball team erase a 4-0 deficit and defeat No. 1 Bentley, 9-5, in the first game of a best-of-three series for the NCAA Division II East Region 1 title on Saturday at DeFelice Field.
With the win, the Wildcats (41-15) move to one win away from winning the NCAA East Region 1 Pod and a date in the East Super Regionals with Molloy. Game two of the best-of-three series will take place on Sunday, starting at 11 a.m., with the if necessary game three to start shortly after the completion of game two.
On Saturday, the East's No. 1 seed Bentley jumped out to an early lead against starter Xavier Cortez, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first and another in the bottom of the third for a 4-0 lead.
The offense helped Cortez regain some confidence in the top of the fourth inning, scoring three to get back into the game. Brett Walmsley took an 0-2 pitch deep to left center, cutting the deficit in half, 4-2. Cam Trego then doubled to keep the inning going and Zach Frame hit a sacrifice fly to make to 4-3.
Cortez then went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fourth to get the offense back up. Brian Klumpp made it a new game with a solo shot to lead off the top of the fifth inning, 4-4. Chase Fleming and Walmsley walked and were on second and third with one out. Frame then grounded out to short, bringing in the go-ahead run from third, 5-4.
The offense continued to add on runs in the sixth as Tyler Pirrung took a 2-1 curveball over the wall in left for a two-run shot, making it a 7-4 game.
Xavier Cortez was challenged for the first time since the third inning in the seventh, as a leadoff single was standing on second with two outs. But after a long at-bat, Cortez picked up a swing and a miss for the final out of the inning, ending his outing as well.
Tyler Pirrung fought off an inside pitch and dumped it into right field to score a run in the eighth and then Zach Frame added his third RBI of the game with a run-scoring single in the ninth, 9-4.
Garrett Quinn came on in the eighth and left a two-out walk on base in the eighth and then allowed an unearned run in the ninth but got back-to-back grounders to third to end the game.
Tyler Pirrung, Brian Klumpp, Brett Walmsley, and Cam Trego all had two hits in the game as Pirrung and Zach Frame led the team with three RBI each. Xavier Cortez improves to 7-2 on the year while striking out a season high nine batters. Garrett Quinn earned his seventh save of the year.
Sunday's first pitch is set for 11:00 a.m. at DeFelice Field.