CALDWELL, N.J. - - Cassidy Zelano threw out a runner at the plate in the bottom of the seventh of game two as the Wilmington University softball team split with Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference leading Caldwell on Saturday, falling 3-2 before winning 7-6, on the road.
With the split, the Wildcats are now 16-24 overall and 6-6 in the CACC, sitting in a tie for 6th place in the conference. It was just the second loss for Caldwell in conference play and is now 22-14 overall and 12-2 in league play.
GAME 1:
A three-run bottom of the third was all Caldwell needed in the opener, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead. The Wildcats scored one in the fifth but left two on in the sixth and one more in the seventh as Caldwell held on.
The Wildcats got off to a fast start, scoring a run in the top of the first. Haley Grygo led off the game with a walk and eventually scored on a Maddie Vollmar squeeze bunt.
Starter Olivia Hitchens had an easy two innings, but then Caldwell led off the third with a triple, followed by a walk. The Cougars then homered to take a 3-1 lead.
The Wildcats attempted a comeback in the fifth inning, getting a leadoff single from Caroline Scott. Haley Grygo then put down a squeeze bunt to score Scott and bring the Wildcats to within 3-2. But a fly ball ended the inning, leading the tying run on third.
The Wildcats then got a leadoff single from Addison Sabo and a two-out error to put two on, but a strikeout ended the sixth inning threat as the Wildcats were still down 3-2. Rylee Maloney hit a one-out single in the seventh but was left at first as the game ended.
Addison Sabo led with two hits while Gabriella Saucedo had a double. Maddie Vollmar came on and pitched 4.0 innings of relief, striking out six.
GAME 2:
The Wildcats scored three runs in the top of the first but needed to come back as Caldwell scored five in the third and one more in the fourth to lead 6-4. The Wildcats answered with a three-run sixth inning.
Haley Grygo again started the game with a single and stole home on a first and third play for the game's first run. Jaydyn Beall scored on a passed ball and then Mia Lane made it a 3-0 lead with a two-out RBI single.
Mia Lane then gave the Wildcats a 4-0 lead in the top of the third with her sixth homer of the season.
Starter Kasey Xenidis allowed a hit in each of the first two innings, but then ran into trouble in the third. The big hit was a three-run triple, tying the game, 4-4. The Cougars added a sacrifice fly to take the lead in the inning. A two-out RBI double in the fourth put the Cougars ahead, 6-4, before the Wildcats mounted a comeback.
In the top of the sixth, the Wildcats started with a hit by pitch and a single. Addison Sabo singled to the pitcher to load the bases with one out. Maddie Vollmar then singled into center to score two, while a fielding error by the outfielder allowed the third run to come around as well, giving the Wildcats the 7-6 lead.
Reliever Karen Sickle struck out a batter with runners on second and third to end the sixth inning and then got some help from her defense in the seventh.
Caldwell started the seventh with a leadoff double before a sacrifice bunt moved the tying run to third. A sharp grounder to Cassidy Zelano at short was fielded and fired home on the mark, as Mia Lane applied the tag to cut the tying run down at the plate. Caldwell put another runner on with a walk, but then Sickle struck out the final batter for the win.
Karen Sickle went 3.1 innings of relief, striking out three while only allowing three hits to improve to 3-2. Haley Grygo went 3-for-5 in game two with two runs scored. Addison Sabo and Mia Lane each had two hits as well.
UP NEXT:
Sunday's CACC doubleheader against Post has been moved to Thursday and is still the next action for the Wildcats this week. The first pitch of the doubleheader is set for 1:30 p.m. at Asbury Field.