NEW CASTLE, Del. - - Ryan Sandberg was spectacular on the mound again as the Wilmington University baseball team split a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader with USciences on Sunday, winning the opener, 6-2, before dropping the nightcap, 4-2, on Sunday at Wilson Field.
The Wildcats won the CACC regular season series, 2-1, winning the midweek game at USciences as well.
GAME 1:
Ryan Sandberg was at it again in the opener, nearly finishing off a second straight complete game shutout. He struck out 13 batters while only allowing two walks and one hit through eight innings of work. He trotted back out to the hill for the ninth inning, but ultimately gave up three more hits and two runs before AJ Stento finished it off for his sixth save of the year. Sandberg improved to 5-1 on the year with the win.
The offense gave Sandberg all he needed in the bottom of the first inning, all starting with two outs and no one on. Quintin Ivy walked and stole second to start the rally and then John Mead blooped a double down the left field line for the game's first run. Shaw Haut followed with a double down the left field line and the Wildcats led 2-0 after the first.
John Mead led off the fourth with a single and was standing on third base with two outs. Alex Krick was able to beat out an infield single to second base, plating Mead for the 3-0 lead.
A throwing error on allowed Nic Hertfeld to score, but he would have come home from third anyway with the next at-bat, as Jack McDonald singled back up the middle to make it 5-0 in the seventh.
Matt Warrington singled home JJ Killen in the bottom of the eighth and the Wildcats' offense gave Sandberg a 6-0 lead.
After Sandberg hit a batter in the third, he retired the next 18 batters, getting one out in the top of the ninth. He induced a pop up to first for the second out of the ninth, but then a single and a double plated two runners and head coach Brian August went with AJ Stento to close out the game. He induced a ground ball to finish off the win, 6-2.
GAME 2:
The Devils came out swinging in the nightcap, scoring all four of their runs in the top of the first. It happened fast as the Devils hit back-to-back singles to start the game and then Eddie Parry hit a three-run blast to right center for a quick 3-0 lead.
After starter Kyle Maxwell hit a batter, he got two outs in the inning, but a triple scored the fourth run as the Devils took a 4-0 lead.
Quintin Ivy stole second in the bottom of the first and the throw from the catcher was kicked away, allowing Adrian Jimenez to score and it looked as though the Wildcats were going to mount a comeback, 4-1.
But the Wildcats left two runners on in the first and two more on base in the second, leaving at least one runner on base in each inning except the last frame.
Scott Borgmann picked up his first collegiate RBI in the fourth and was standing on second with only one out. But the Devils' starter picked up back-to-back strikeouts to close out the inning.
Kyle Maxwell rebounded from the tough first inning to go 5.2 innings, allowing four runs on five hits, striking out five batters. Lance Hinton came on and threw the final 1.1 innings of scoreless baseball.
The Wildcats had a chance in the seventh, hitting a pinch-hit leadoff single from Jack McDonald. Quintin Ivy hit a sharp grounder back up the middle, but the Devils were playing him that way and it resulted in a 4-3 double play. John Mead then hit a liner out to center, but it was tracked down for the final out of the game.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats host Kutztown on Tuesday before traveling to Bloomfield for a doubleheader on Wednesday. The first pitch against the Bears at Wilson Field is set for 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
