Press Release Written by Sports Information Graduate Intern MaryKate Rumbaugh
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – With four runs in the top of the third inning, the Wilmington University baseball team took the lead before defeating the University of the Sciences, 7-3, to win the 2019 Bill Giles Invitational held at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday afternoon.
Today's win over USciences gave Wilmington baseball their fourth Bill Giles Invitational Championship. The Wildcats won the 18th Annual Bill Giles Invitational last season, defeating West Chester. It is the first time the Wildcats have won back-to-back Invitationals.
It was a rocky start for the Wildcats (28-15), as USciences (16-24) scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Devils had back-to-back-to-back hits, before the Wildcats could get their second out of the inning, but with two more singles, USciences would take the early 3-0 lead heading into the top of the second.
Dan Hyatt would get WilmU started in the top of the third inning with a one-out triple to right center. Kendall Small would be the next batter, who reached first on a fielding error from the first baseman. Eddie Nevins, who leads the league with a .457 batting average, then singled to left field to score Small and bring the lead to within one. Max Carney would then get runners in scoring position on a sacrifice bunt for Julian Kurych. Kurych knocked in the two runners with a single to left field to give WilmU their first lead of the game, 4-3.
Redshirt sophomore Brett Nowell would give the Wildcats a 5-3 lead over the Devils in the top of the fifth inning with an RBI single to right field to score Kurych, but would be out at second trying to stretch a double.
In the top of the eighth, Frank Nigro would hit the only homerun of the game, with a solo shot out to left field. Luke Johnson would give the Wildcats the 7-3 lead a few batters later, as he hit a sacrifice fly out to center to score Nowell.
WilmU would use nine pitchers throughout the contest, but Noah Latshaw would get the win, as he pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the second inning. Rudy Gervolino was able to get the final two batters out, after giving up a one-out double in the fourth. Freshman Danny Sullivan gave up a double to the first batter he faced in the bottom of the seventh, but was able to retire the next three batters in order, including two strikeouts.
Julian Kurych and Max Carney both went 3-for-4 in the contest, as Kurych finished with two RBI. Brett Nowell went 2-for-3 with one RBI. Dan Hyatt went 2-for-4, including a triple, as Eddie Nevins, Luke Johnson, and Frank Nigro all had one RBI apiece.
The Wildcats are right back to Philadelphia tomorrow, as they travel to Jefferson for a CACC doubleheader. Game one is set for 1:00 p.m.
