NEW CASTLE, Del. - - The Wilmington University baseball team impressed in its 2023 home opener on Thursday at Wilson Field, sweeping Bridgeport, 17-4 and 5-1, in the teams' first Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference matchup against each other.
The Wildcats (10-11, 3-1 CACC) collected 19 hits in game one and then used the arm of Matt Boyko in game two to sweep the Purple Knights (6-17, 2-4 CACC).
GAME 1:
Kyle Maxwell went six innings allowing four runs on eight hits for his second win of the season. He was aided by a season high 19 hits on the offensive side of the ball, four of which went for doubles.
Bridgeport struck first with a double and an RBI groundout in the first inning, but the Wildcats answered with a three-spot in their first at-bat. Nick Nocella had an RBI single before CJ Deery hit a sacrifice fly. Tristan Schoendienst added a two-out RBI single to make it 3-1.
The Wildcats scored in every at-bat in the opener, adding single runs in each of the second, third, and fourth innings. Jack McDonald hit a sacrifice fly in the second, Erik Grady had an RBI single in the third, and Schoendienst brought in a run with a bases loaded walk in the fourth.
After Bridgeport loaded the bases in the fifth and Maxwell got out of the jam, the Wildcats broke it open in the home half. Nocella started the scoring with a sacrifice fly and then Eddie Parry and JJ Killen hit back-to-back doubles to plate two more. An error kept the inning alive and Schoendienst made it hurt with a two-run double. Erik Grady added another RBI single to make it 12-2.
The offense put five more runs on the board in the sixth, highlighted by RBI singles by Zach Czarnecki and Tyler Pirrung, and another RBI double by Eddie Parry.
Rich Albrecht finished the game with a scoreless top of the seventh, picking up a strikeout. Tristan Schoendienst went 2-or-3 with four RBI while Erik Grady went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Eddie Parry went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI while Jack McDonald, Nick Nocella, and JJ Killen all finished with three hits as well.
GAME 2:
The nightcap had a different tempo to it, as Wildcat starter Matt Boyko and Purple Knight starter Justin Hafele were dealing early.
Matt Warrington started the bottom of the third with a single. Now with two outs and Warrington on third, Jack McDonald placed a ball down the left field line, plating Warrington for the game's first run.
Boyko set the Knights down in order in the fourth and the offense added insurance runs in the home half. JJ Killen doubled in Parry and then Erik Grady singled through a drawn in infield to score Killen for the 3-0 lead.
The first two batters on go for Bridgeport in the fifth, with the Knights scoring on an RBI groundout to get on the board. But Boyko buckled down and got a couple ground balls to third base to limit the damage to a run.
Erik Grady stayed hot with an RBI triple in the sixth and then Matt Warrington made it 5-1 with an RBI single for some much needed insurance runs.
Dom Grady came on and struck out a pair in the top of the seventh, finishing the game off for the sweep.
Erik Grady went 2-for-3 with two RBI while Matt Warrington went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Matt Boyko improved to 1-0 with the win.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats stay home for their next pair of contests, as they host Jefferson on Saturday to finish their three-game CACC series. The first pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
