Video Highlights at Bottom of Page
Press Release Written by Nathan Foltz
NEW CASTLE, Del. - - The Wilmington University softball team picked up a big doubleheader sweep against Post on Thursday, defeating the Eagles 3-0 and 9-1 at Asbury Field in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference matchup between a pair of teams that entered the day even in the standings at 6-6.
The Wildcats, now 18-24 and 8-6 in conference play, move to two games ahead of Post and hold the winning percentage edge over Goldey-Beacom for fifth in the standings. Post (9-28, 6-8 CACC), meanwhile, drops down to seventh place, where they hold a significant edge over the 1-11 Dominican Chargers that reside outside the top eight in ninth.
Pitching was the story for Wilmington, as Olivia Hitchens, Karen Sickle, and Kasey Xenidis combined to allow one run on seven hits with 17 strikeouts across 12 innings. At the plate, Maddie Vollmar drove in two of the three runs in Game 1, while six different Wildcats recorded an RBI in the nightcap.
GAME 1:
Wilmington rode a three-run first inning all the way to the finish line, as Olivia Hitchens dominated in the circle.
The first three Wildcat batters of the game singled to load the bases, with Jaydyn Beall and Addison Sabo each stealing a base in the process. Maddie Vollmar was the fourth to hit in the game, and she delivered with a two-run double down the left field line. Then, with runners on second and third, Mia Lane lifted a fly ball to center to bring home Gabriella Saucedo on the sac fly.
The Wildcats could only muster three hits the rest of the way, but that didn't matter, as Olivia Hitchens shut down the Eagles' offense. Post put together a couple of scoring opportunities throughout the contest, but couldn't capitalize, first in the fourth with runners on first and second and nobody out, and then in the fifth with the bases loaded and one out. Beall picked her pitcher up with an unassisted double play in the fourth by catching a liner and stepping on second base, and then in the fifth, Hitchens did the work herself by inducing a popout to the circle and picking up a strikeout for the third out.
The Eagles hit a one-out triple in the top of the seventh, but Hitchens struck out the next two batters looking to end the game.
Hitchens allowed four hits and three walks in the shutout, striking out a career-high 10 batters.
Saucedo and Lane were the only Wildcats with multiple hits, each hitting two singles in the contest.
GAME 2:
The Wildcats were able to get the offense going a little more in Game 2, starting with two runs in each of the first two innings.
Addison Sabo walked to lead off the bottom of the first, then came around to score after Caroline Scott got all the way to third thanks to a throwing error by the third baseman. Mia Lane then brought Scott home with another sac fly to make it 2-0 Wilmington.
In the second, back-to-back one-out singles by Mia Keenan and Cassidy Zelano turned into two more runs. Kylie Saienni singled past the pitcher on a bunt, bringing home Keenan from second, and then some aggressive baserunning by Saienni baited a throw from the catcher to second base to allow Zelano to score as well.
Another three runs crossed in the bottom of the third, first on an RBI single by Angelina Edwards, then on a squeeze bunt by Brianna Greenlaw, and finally on a sac fly by Keenan.
Post got their only run of the afternoon in the top of the fourth, using a leadoff double, wild pitch, and RBI groundout to plate it. Kasey Xenidis then did well to pitch around the next two hitters, inducing another groundout and a strikeout, to limit the damage.
The Wildcats picked up the run-rule walkoff in the bottom of the eighth, with Keenan hitting a sac fly to make the lead seven runs before Zelano singled on a bunt back to the pitcher, which brought home Jaydyn Beall from third.
Karen Sickle started and went 2.2 innings, allowing two hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Xenidis threw the final 2.1, allowing a run on a hit and a walk while striking out four.
Scott had the only extra-base hit of the game for Wilmington with a leadoff double in the third. Maddie Vollmar, Edwards, and Zelano all went 2-3 in the game with a run scored.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats are right back at it tomorrow, welcoming Bridgeport to town for their final home series of the regular season. First pitch at Asbury Field is set for 2:30 p.m., with Senior Day festivities scheduled to follow the conclusion of Game 2.