NEW CASTLE, Del. - - A sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 12^th inning was the only run in a 1-0 victory for the Wilmington University softball team, defeating Holy Family, 1-0, in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament First Round on Saturday at Asbury Field.

The No. 2 seed Wildcats (29-16) advance to the double-elimination portion of the CACC Tournament hosted by Bridgeport starting on May 1. The Wildcats are two-time defending champions.

Neither team could come up with a two-out base hit with runners on base, resulting in the game going into extra innings.

Kylee Gunkel threw the first eight innings, retiring 14 Tigers in a row at one point. She came back in and pitched the 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th innings as well, pitching 11 full innings and picking up nine strikeouts without issuing a walk.

Eve Serrato tripled with one out in the bottom of the second, but she was left stranded. Serrato hit a two-out double in the fourth but was again stranded on base. The Wildcats left runners on second in the sixth and seventh innings as well and then it was nearly the Tigers who struck in the top of the eighth.

The Tigers hit a two-out single with a runner on second in the eighth, but Tristyn Stewart threw a strike to the plate as Emma Zimmerman applied the tag to end the inning and keep the game scoreless.

Maddie Vollmar doubled in the eighth, but the Wildcats left runners on second and third with only one out. The Wildcats had runners on second and third with one out in the 11^th as well, but one out was recorded at the plate and then a liner down the line was caught to end the threat again.

Gunkel left a one-out single on first base in the top of the 12^th inning and then the Wildcats finally struck in the home half. Gracie Mabrey doubled to right center to lead off the inning and then was moved over to third on a bunt. Maddie Vollmar hit a deep fly ball to center, allowing Mabrey to race home for the 1-0 victory.

Serrato had a triple and a double while Vollmar went 2-for-5 with the lone RBI. Emma Zimmerman also had two hits in the game. Gunkel improved to 13-7 with the win.

The time and opponent for Thursday are yet to be determined as the rest of the CACC Tournament First Round games will be played on Sunday and Monday.