NEW CASTLE, Del. - - The Wilmington University baseball team had their 10-game winning streak snapped in the night cap of a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference South Division doubleheader with Jefferson on Thursday, winning the opener, 9-4, before falling, 6-3, in game two at Wilson Field.
Sean Deely went seven innings while the Wildcats (25-15, 20-6 CACC) smashed 15 hits in the opener to extend the team's winning streak to 10-straight. But the Rams (16-24, 13-13 CACC) took the lead for good with a three-run fifth inning to take the nightcap.
Game One:
Jefferson started the scoring in the top of the third inning with a two-out rally, scoring twice after Sean Deely got the first two batters of the inning out.
But the Wildcats had an answer with one swing of the bat in the home half of the inning, as Kendall Small brought home all three runners on base with a grand slam down the right field line for his second homer of the year and a 4-2 lead.
Small added to his RBI total in the bottom of the fifth, scoring Christian Adorno from third with a single through the right side for the 5-2 lead.
Back-to-back doubles with two outs and the bases empty in the seventh gave the Wildcats their sixth run of the game, as Nick Macey and Nick Grant switched spots for the 6-2 advantage. A first and third play then plated the Wildcats their seventh run of the game.
The Rams tried to come back in the top of the eighth inning, scoring two runs after loading the bases with no outs. A sacrifice fly brought in the first run before a single up the middle plated the other. But on the second run, Kyle Fries threw it home to gun down the second Ram trying to score on the play and end the inning, 7-4.
Frank Nigro earned those two runs back in the bottom of the eighth for the Wildcats, hitting a two-run double inside the line in left for a pair of insurance runs, 8-4.
Justin Mears came on and closed out the win for the Wildcats in the top of the ninth, leaving two walks on base with a strike out to end the game.
Sean Deely improves to 4-2 on the year with the win, tossing seven innings while striking out eight batters while allowing two runs on four hits. Nigro batted 3-for-4 with a double while Christian Adorno, Kendall Small, Nick Grant, and Kyle Fries added two hits each. Small finished 2-for-3 with five RBI and two runs scored.
Game Two:
The Rams got on the board first in the nightcap with a sacrifice fly, but the Wildcats answered quickly with a run in the home half of the inning. A leadoff single, a sacrifice bunt, and RBI single tied the game, 1-1, as Max Carney collected the RBI.
But the Rams took the game over in the top of the fifth, scoring three runs on one play. A bases loaded double brought in the first two while an error on the throw into third base got away, allowing another run to come home and give the Rams the 4-1 lead.
Kyle Fries tried to lead the Wildcats in a comeback in the fifth, but his two-out double down the right field line that scored Nick Grant was all they could get out of the fifth.
Jefferson tacked on two more runs through the sixth and seventh innings, as the Wildcats had a runner thrown out at the plate in the sixth and brought the winning run to the plate in the seventh.
Nick Macey and Nick Grant walked to start the seventh before Kyle Fries doubled down the first field line bring the score to 6-3. Christian Adorno was hit by a pitch to load the bases and bring the winning run to the plate, but Max Carney flew out to right to end the game.
Kyle Fries went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI while five other Wildcats collected one hit.
Chuck Delagol took the loss and falls to 3-2 on the year, allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits, picking up seven strikeouts.
Next Up:
The Wildcats head to Felician on Friday for their final CACC South Division doubleheader of the season. The Wildcats and Golden Falcons have both wrapped up a CACC Tournament berth and a First Round home game, but the CACC South Division Regular Season Championship is still in the air. The first pitch at Felician has been pushed back to 1:30 p.m.
