CLERMONT, Fla. - - Two runs in the bottom of the seventh allowed Alderson-Broaddus to steal a 6-5 walk-off win before the Wilmington University softball team dropped a 10-2 contest at Rollins on Tuesday night to wrap up day five in Florida.
The Wildcats (2-8 overall) never trailed the Battlers in Tuesday's opening game at the National Training Center, scoring a pair of runs in the top of the first and taking a 3-1 lead after two full innings. Lead 5-4 going into the bottom of the seventh, Alderson-Broaddus collected four straight hits, including a walk-off double to score the winning run from second base.
In the nightcap, the Wildcats fell victim to a seven run bottom of the fourth inning at Rollins. The Wildcats were unable to score in the top of the fifth, causing the game to come to an abrupt end, 10-2 after five innings of play due to the eight-run rule.
Against Alderson-Broaddus, Cambria Ziemba and Meghan Logullo paced the offense, collecting two hits each while Brooke Lachette struck out three batters in 3.2 innings of work in the circle.
Ziemba's single in the fourth inning drove in the team's fourth run of the game, giving the Wildcats a 4-2 cushion after the top of the fourth. But the Battlers came back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning, tying the game on three straight hits with two outs and the bases empty.
A leadoff single by Logullo in the sixth set up the go-ahead run for the Wildcats, as Kelsey Doherty singled into center field with Logullo racing home from second. But Alderson-Broaddus connected on three straight singles in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game, and walked-off with the victory with a run scoring double.
In the nightcap, the Wildcats scored twice in the top of the fourth to get back to within 3-2 before Rollins put a seven-spot on the board in the bottom half to take control.
Trailing 3-0, Ashley Bennett doubled to right field to score Miranda Pedersen and Michelle Panasiti with two outs in the inning. The Wildcats stranded runners on first and second as the inning ended, still trailing by one.
The Tars came back with six hits and aided by a pair of Wilmington errors to score seven runs in the bottom of the fourth and take command of the contest. The Wildcats could have extended the game, but left Doherty on second as the game ended in the top of the fifth.
Bennett and Shannon McMahon registered hits for the Wildcats at Rollins, while senior Stephanie Sarris took the loss in the circle, allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits in three innings of work.
The Wildcats are back to action at the National Training Center on Wednesday when they square off against Wayne State (Neb.) and Mercy on day six of their Florida trip.
