Press Release Written by Nathan Foltz
STROUDSBURG, Pa. - - Similar to its season-opening doubleheader, the Wilmington University softball team was shut out 3-0 in the first game of the twin bill versus East Stroudsburg on Thursday before exploding for double-digit runs in the second game, this time to win 11-6 over the Warriors in the Poconos at Creekview Park.
GAME 1:
The bats were mostly quiet for both teams, but East Stroudsburg did a better job of capitalizing with runners on to scrape together the offense they needed to win. The Warriors scored on a two-out double in the first, a two-out single in the fifth, and on a one-out groundout in the sixth. All three runners who scored successfully stole second before eventually being driven in.
The Wildcats, on the other hand, were unable to string together multiple hits in any inning, spreading out their five across the first six frames. Their best chance came in the top of the first, when Gabriella Saucedo singled following a Cassidy Zelano walk, but the two were stranded in scoring position to end the inning.
Wilmington went 1-2-3 to end the game in the top of the seventh.
Rylee Maloney was the only Wildcat with multiple hits, going 2-for-2. Jaydyn Beall and Angelina Edwards joined Saucedo in going 1-for-3. Beall also swiped a bag in the third.
Olivia Hitchens started for Wilmington and allowed two runs on four hits and two walks in 4.2 innings, punching out four Warriors. Karen Sickle came on in relief to strand two runners in the fifth and went on to cover the final 1.1 innings, allowing a run on a hit with a strikeout.
GAME 2:
Part two of the doubleheader made up for the lack of offense in game one, with the teams combining for 22 hits and 17 runs en route to an 11-6 Wildcat victory.
Wilmington took an early 2-0 lead in the second, using three straight singles by Maddie Vollmar, Angelina Edwards, and Addison Sabo and a groundout by Alexa Eisemann to plate the runs. Another two came across in the fourth on a "little league home run" by Mia Lane, who followed Sabo around the bases after a throwing error by the Warriors' third baseman sent the ball to the fence in right-center field.
East Stroudsburg scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it a 4-3 game, but Wilmington responded with four more of their own in the top of the fifth. Zelano, Saucedo, and Vollmar led the inning off with singles, and then two wild pitches allowed two to come across before Lane ripped a double down the left field line for the other two runs.
A two-out RBI double by Vollmar scored Jaydyn Beall in the sixth, and then Lane struck again, this time with a legit two-run homer, in the seventh to complete the day's scoring for the Wildcats at 11.
Maddie Vollmar pitched all seven innings for the win, allowing six runs on seven hits with a walk and three strikeouts. She also went 4-4 at the plate with a double and drove in one run while scoring two herself. Jaydyn Beall was 3-4 with three singles, Addison Sabo was 2-3 with three runs and two RBI, and Mia Lane did a large chunk of the team's damage with her double and home run that scored four total Wildcats.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats are scheduled to host Adelphi for their Asbury Field opener on Tuesday, with first pitch of the doubleheader slated for 2:30 p.m.