NEW CASTLE, Del. - - With a sweep of visiting Dominican, the No. 20 Wilmington University baseball team claimed its second straight Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Regular Season Championship, 7-4 and 4-3, and the tournament's top seed on Saturday at Wilson Field.
The Wildcats (31-7-1, 17-3 CACC) scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh in game one to take the lead before Matt Lopes hit a bases loaded walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth in game two to take both games against Dominican (18-21, 11-9 CACC).
Trailing 3-2 after the top of the sixth, the Wildcats made their move.
Kyle Lindstrom and Jon Castro hit back-to-back singles to with one out to start the rally. Josh Swirchak beat out a double play opportunity to third base, getting the RBI and tying the game at 3-3.
Reliever Jay Kluka sent the Chargers down in order in the seventh inning, bringing the Wildcat bats back to the plate.
Matt Lopes and Mike Annone started the inning by reaching on errors before Sam Goines loaded the bases by getting hit by a pitch. The innings' first run came home on a fielder's choice by Joe Marciano, allowing Lopes to come home from third. Lindstrom then cleared the bases with one swing of the bat, hitting his first homer of the season over the fence in left center to give the Wildcats a 7-3 lead.
Starter Ray Gambone went 5.1 innings, striking out six while allowing three runs on seven hits. Kluka went 1.2 scoreless innings with two strikeouts, earning the win to move to 3-1 on the season. Nick Marics earned the hold with pitching the eighth before Tyler Fires picked up his sixth save of the season in two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth.
Swirchak, Josh Hampton, Lopes, and Lindstrom each collected two hits in game one, with Lindstrom leading the team with three RBI.
In game two, the Wildcats scored a run in the bottom of the eighth to take a 3-2 lead, but the Chargers tallied a run in the top of the ninth on a dribbler up the third base line to knot the game at 3-3.
With one out in the ninth, Jesse Long beat out a bunt to third base, as the throw to first couldn't be caroled on the bang-bang play. Now with two outs, Christian Adorno put runners on first and third with a single into right field before the Chargers loaded the bases by intentionally walking Hampton.
Coming off the bench as a pinch hitter, Lopes clinched the CACC Regular Season Championship by singling into right center, sending the home team into a frenzy and out of the dugout.
Game two starter Frank Samluk went 6.1 innings with six strikeouts before turning it over to the bullpen. Tyler Newton finished the seventh before Tim Racek tossed a scoreless eighth inning. Jarrett Shaffer ran into trouble with two outs in the ninth inning, allowing the tying run before being lifted for Tyler Fries. Fries struck out the lone batter he faced to get out of the ninth and pick up the win.
Adorno batted 4-for-5 with two runs scored in game two while Hampton was the only other Wildcat to collected multiple hits in the nightcap.
The top seed in the CACC Tournament earns a bye in the first round scheduled for May 3. The Wildcats will open the CACC Tournament on Thursday, May 8 at Wilson Field. The time and opponent of the game is to be determined.
The Wildcats round out the 2014 regular season this week with three nonconference games. They will head to in-state and NCAA Division I foe Delaware on Monday before hosting Queens on Wednesday and Bridgeport on Thursday.
