Press Release Written by Nathan Foltz
WILMINGTON, Del. - - Runs were hard to come by at the Jackson Athletic Complex on Wednesday afternoon, as the Wilmington University softball team split a doubleheader with Goldey-Beacom. The Wildcats won Game 1, 3-1, before getting blanked, 3-0, in Game 2 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference showdown between Delaware rivals.
Maddie Vollmar pitched well in the circle and drove in the winning run in Game 1, but the Wildcats could only muster four singles and a pair of hit batters in the back half of the afternoon.
GAME 1:
Goldey put runners on base in every inning except the third, but Maddie Vollmar and Olivia Hitchens combined to do an excellent job limiting the damage, holding the home team to just one hit in the contest. The Lightning plated a second-inning run on an RBI double to open the scoring, but they were only able to get two runners into scoring position the rest of the game.
Mia Lane was the first Wildcat to touch home in the game, coming across on a sac fly off the bat of Brianna Greenlaw in the top of the fourth.
Looking to break the tie, Rylee Maloney led off the fifth with a double in the left-center gap, but Caroline Scott pinch ran and was gunned down at third trying to move up a base on a ground out to short.
Wilmington wasn't deterred, though, as Vollmar stepped up to set the Lightning down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth, including back-to-back Ks. The Wildcat pitcher then came through at the plate in the top of the sixth, bringing home Addison Sabo with an RBI single to center after Sabo led the inning off with a walk and moved up to second on a sac bunt.
Some insurance came in the top of the seventh on a two-out RBI double by Haley Grygo to make it 3-1, and then Hitchens closed the book on Goldey with two groundouts sandwiched around a strikeout and a walk to end the game.
Vollmar went 5.1 innings, allowing a run on one hit, two walks, and two strikeouts. Hitchens picked up her first save of the year, throwing the final 1.2 innings with two walks and three strikeouts.
The RBIs went to Grygo, Greenlaw, and Vollmar, with Grygo and Maloney each hitting a double. Lane, Gabriella Saucedo, and Maloney all had sac bunts with Greenlaw pitching in a sac fly.
GAME 2:
The Lightning only struck in one inning, the first, but that proved to be enough. A leadoff bunt single plus a throwing error and a hit by pitch quickly put runners on the corners, and Goldey took the opportunity to sac bunt home a run, score a second on a groundout to second, and plate a third on an RBI single.
They didn't do much after that, only getting two more knocks over the next five frames, but the damage was done as the Wildcats couldn't come up with the big hit when they needed it. Wilmington joined Goldey in struggling to hit with RISP in the day's second game, only taking two at-bats with a runner on second and/or third in the contest.
Their first opportunity came in the top of the third, with Cassidy Zelano hitting a one-out single. Although she was caught stealing for out number two, Haley Grygo reached on a throwing error, and then Addison Sabo singled and chased Grygo around to put two in scoring position. The Wildcats couldn't capitalize, though, as Mia Lane lined out to third to end the threat.
The Wildcats had another two-out chance in the sixth when Mia Lane moved up to second on a groundout, but they came up short again with a flyout to left field ending things
Madi Shama had a two-out pinch-hit single in the seventh, but another flyout ended the game shortly after.
Kasey Xenidis threw the first three innings, giving up three runs on four hits with three strikeouts. Olivia Hitchens came on in relief for the second game in a row, throwing two hitless innings with only a walk on her line. Karen Sickle threw the sixth inning and stranded a leadoff double with three fly outs.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats will be back home on Saturday to take on Felician. First pitch is scheduled for noon at Asbury Field.