CLERMONT, Fla. - - Freshmen starting pitchers Karen Sickle and Maddie Vollmar led the sixth-ranked Wilmington University softball team to a pair of victories on Thursday, defeating Concordia-St. Paul, 8-1, and Sioux Falls, 7-0, at Legends Way in Clermont, Fla.
Karen Sickle (Old Forge, Pa./Old Forge) tossed four shutout innings in her collegiate debut against Concordia-St. Paul, earning the win. Kasey Xenidis (Wilmington, Del./Caravel Academy) made her collegiate debut after Sickle, tossing two innings while holding the lead. Maddie Vollmar (Thornton, Colo./Horizon) threw six shutout innings in her first collegiate start against Sioux Falls, moving to 2-0 on the young year.
GAME 1 vs. CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL:
The bats got rolling in the top of the second inning with four runs which was more than enough for Karen Sickle and the pitchers against Concordia-St. Paul.
With a runner on second and two outs, Maddie Vollmar hit an RBI single into left to get the scoring starting. Tristyn Stewart hit another single into left to plate Vollmar and now with the bases loaded, Delani Sheehan hit a two-run single, giving the Wildcats a 4-0 lead all with two outs.
Sickle's final inning was her best, striking out the side for her first three strikeouts of her career. The offense added on with a Delani Sheehan solo homer in the fifth, an Eve Serrato squeeze and two runs on an error in the seventh to complete the scoring.
Cassidy Zelano went 3-for-4 with two runs while Haley Grygo and Delani Sheehan each had two hits with Sheehan leading the way with three RBI.
GAME 2 vs. SIOUX FALLS:
Maddie Vollmar left the bases loaded in the top of the first against Sioux Falls and then it was all Wilmington the rest of the way. The offense answered with a four-run bottom of the first before adding three more in the seventh to support Vollmar.
In the game, senior Tristyn Stewart broke a WilmU single-game record, stealing five bases without being caught. She picked up her first stolen base in the bottom of the first after a single and then scored the first run on an RBI from Cassidy Zelano.
Delani Sheehan hit an RBI single in the first and Eve Serrato doubled in two to give the Wildcats a 4-0 lead in the early going.
Maddie Vollmar helped herself with a two run single in the bottom of the third before Tristyn Stewart hit an infield RBI single to make it 7-0.
Vollmar struck out five through six innings of shutout softball, allowing five hits and only walking one. Delani Sheehan came on to close out the first shutout of the season for the Wildcats with a scoreless seventh.
Stewart finished 2-for-2 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch, stealing five bags. Eve Serrato and Maddie Vollmar had two RBI each in the win.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats head to Tampa for their next doubleheader on Sunday. It will be a matchup between two Top 10 ranked teams, as Tampa started this week ranked No. 3 and the Wildcats No. 6 in the NFCA/GoRout Top 25. The first pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.
