Baseball’s Game One Comeback Falls Short, 13-11, but Breakout to 11-4 Win in Second Game against Bloomfield  

Copyright 2019; Wilmington University. All rights reserved. File photo of Eddie Nevins who had two home run on the day, collecting eight RBI in the doubleheader against Bloomfield. Photo by Dan Lauletta. February 22, 2019 vs. New Haven at Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Copyright 2019; Wilmington University. All rights reserved. File photo of Eddie Nevins who had two home run on the day, collecting eight RBI in the doubleheader against Bloomfield. Photo by Dan Lauletta. February 22, 2019 vs. New Haven at Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Press Release Written By Sports Information Graduate Intern MaryKate Rumbaugh

NEW CASTLE, Del. – In their final doubleheader of March, the Wilmington University baseball team split its Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference matchup with Bloomfield, falling in the first game, 13-11 in 10 innings, but taking the second game, 11-4 in a shortened five inning contest at Wilson Field on Saturday afternoon.

Game One:

In a game that took four hours and 40 minutes, Bloomfield scored two runs in the top of the tenth inning to take the 13-11 win from the Wildcats, halting their comeback just short.

Bloomfield (5-23, 5-7 CACC) would get on the board first in the top of the first inning on a three-run shot out to left field, but the Wildcats (19-9, 8-4 CACC) would answer right back in the bottom half of the inning. With runners on first and third, Eddie Nevins would double to right center field to bring the Bears' lead within one, making it 3-2.

Déjà vu all over again in the top of the third inning, as the Bears would hit their second three-run homer of the game that just caught the right field foul pole to take a 6-2 lead over the Wildcats. Bloomfield would hit their third homerun of the game and make it a 7-2 game the following inning.

The Wildcats' bats did not come alive until the bottom of the fifth inning with the top of the lineup due up. Dakota Graham would double to left center, before Kendall Small followed him with one to the same spot to make it a 7-4 ballgame. Still with no outs, Eddie Nevins kept the inning going as he homered to left center to bring it to a one run game. The Wildcats still were not finished as Julian Kurych hit a two-out homerun to right center to tie the game at 7-7. With a runner on third, Frank Nigro got into the action with an RBI single through the right side to give WilmU their first lead of the game, 8-7. WilmU scored six runs on seven hits in the inning.

With still four more innings to play, the Bears answered right back in the top of the sixth inning with three runs, before getting another in the top of the seventh to take an 11-7 lead.

WilmU would not go down without a fight as they scored one run in each of the final three innings to tie the Bears in the bottom of the ninth inning at 11-11, as Brock Nowell started the inning with a leadoff double. . Forced to play extra innings, Bloomfield would score two runs on three hits in the top of the 10th inning to take a 13-11 lead heading into the Wildcats final at bats.

The Wildcats comeback fell short as they would go down in order. They finished with 16 hits in the game, including five doubles and two homeruns.

Rudy Gervolino started and went 3.2 IP, allowing five hits, seven runs, four walks, and four strikeouts. Justin Mears would fall to 0-2 on the season as he allowed three hits and two runs.

Dakota Graham went 4-for-5 with two RBI and two runs as Joey Cautillo went 3-for-4 with a run. Eddie Nevins had two hits and four RBI and Julian Kurych finished with two RBI.

Game Two:

Coming off the loss, WilmU got out to an early start in game two to help extend their lead to 11-4 in the bottom of the fifth inning, before the game was cut short due to darkness.

Eddie Nevins would get the Wildcats on the board first with his second homerun of the day, and fifth of the season, out to left field to give WilmU a 2-0 lead. The next inning, Quintin Ivy would go yard with a three-run shot to left center for his first homerun of the season to give the Wildcats a 5-0 lead heading into the third inning.

The Bears would get one back in the top of the third, but Julian Kurych would reach on a throwing error by the Bears in the bottom half of the inning, before he could score on a balk to give the Wildcats a 7-1 lead.

Bloomfield would get something going in the top of the fifth inning, as they scored three runs on three hits to cut Wilmington's lead in half, making it 8-4. The Wildcats would get another chance to bat and score three more runs in the bottom of the fifth to increase their lead to 11-4, before the umpires called the game after the inning.

Tyler Campbell went 4.3 IP, allowing six hits, four runs, one walk with two strikeouts to get the win for the Wildcats and improve to 2-1 on the year. Rich Albrecht got the save as he had one walk and one strikeout.

Eddie Nevins went 2-for-2 with four RBI and two runs scored, as Quintin Ivy went 1-for-2 with three RBI. Brock Nowell, Matt Frost, and Max Carney each had a hit for the Wildcats.

Next Up:

The Wildcats are back home when they host PSAC contender Kutztown for a single nonconference game on Tuesday afternoon. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. at Wilson Field.