PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. - - Bella Barnes hit a ninth-inning home run for the only run of a 1-0 victory for the Wilmington University softball team in game one of the Super Regional series against Pace on Thursday afternoon at the Pace Softball Field.
The Wildcats (36-17) lead the best-of-three series, 1-0, and are one win away from advancing to their third consecutive NCAA Division II Softball National Championships.
Kylee Gunke, Maddie Vollmar, and Delani Sheehan combined for a four-hit shutout as Pace (44-11) left six runners on base. The Setters' Gisselle Garcia only allowed two hits, but the Wildcats worked four walks and had chances throughout. The Wildcats left five runners on base. Garcia struck out 13 batters in the loss.
Tristyn Stewart led off the game with an infield single and quickly stole second base. But she was left stranded at second as Garcia struck out the next three Wildcats. The Wildcats wouldn't get another hit until Barnes' homer in the ninth.
Starter Kylee Gunkel left a leadoff single and a two-out walk on base in the second and then left a two-out single on first in the fourth. Maddie Vollmar came on after a two-out single in the fifth and induced a grounder. Vollmar worked around a leadoff single in the sixth and then Sheehan came on for the final three frames. Sheehan stranded a leadoff error on first in the seventh but then got the next nine Setters out in a row to finish the game.
Emma Zimmerman walked to start the eighth, but pinch runner Alexa Eisemann was left at second after a stolen base.
After Haley Grygo struck out to start the ninth, Bella Barnes took the first pitch she saw from Garcia and hit her sixth homer of the year to dead center. Delani Sheehan then induced two fly balls in the bottom of the ninth before striking out the final batter to seal the 1-0 victory.
Game two of the East Super Regional series is Friday at 12:00 p.m. If Pace settles the series and forces a game three, it will immediately follow tomorrow afternoon.
