Chelsea Botsch Leads Wilmington Softball to Split Against Quincy and Indiana (Pa.) on Day Four in Florida

Chelsea Botsch Leads Wilmington Softball to Split Against Quincy and Indiana (Pa.) on Day Four in Florida

The Wilmington University softball team continued its hot start to the 2015 season, splitting a pair of games on Sunday afternoon, falling to Quincy, 6-2, before defeating Indiana (Pa.), 3-1, in the nightcap at Foundation Academy on day four of the Florida Trip.

The Wildcats (6-2) are off to one of their best starts to a season but had a five game winning streak snapped with the first game on Sunday afternoon. The Wildcats were back to their winning ways in game two with a great outing in the circle from senior Chelsea Botsch.

Quincy jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first three innings in the days' first game, putting two up in the second before adding one in the third. The Wildcats cut the deficit to within a run in the fourth, getting an RBI single from Miranda Pedersen before pinch runner Shannon McMahon scored on a wild pitch.

Still stuck at 3-2, Quincy was able to pull away from the Wildcats in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three runs on three hits while getting help from two Wilmington errors. The Wildcats left a pair on base in the bottom of the seventh, stranding runners at the corners as the game ended.

Shannon Brantley batted 2-for-3 to lead the Wildcats while Cambria Ziemba and Pedersen each went 1-for-3. Botsch tossed the first two innings while allowing two runs on three hits and was saddled with the loss. Brooke Lachette pitched the final four innings, allowing four unearned runs on five hits while picking up two strikeouts.

The bats came alive at the start of the second game, as the Wildcats scored three times in the bottom of the first inning to grab the momentum. With runners on second and third, Colby Wyatt singled through the right side, plating both Kelsey Doherty and Ziemba for a quick 2-0 lead. Again with runner son second and third, Brantley reached on a fielding error, allowing Michelle Panasiti to trot home for the 3-0 advantage.

Botsch pitched the first five innings for the Wildcats, giving up one unearned run in the fourth inning. Danielle Bradley came on to pitch in the top of the sixth inning but the Crimson Hawks quickly put runners on second and third with one out. Botsch came back into the circle and induced a pair of pop ups to get out of the jam without allowing a run.

Botsch finished off the victory with a pair of strikeouts in the seventh inning, totaling 10 on the afternoon in 6.2 innings of work. She improved to 2-1 with the win, giving up four hits and one unearned run.

Panasiti led the offense with two hits in the nightcap while McMahon, Ziemba, Wyatt, and Kaitlyn Slater added solo hits in the win.

The Wildcats are off on Monday but return to action on Tuesday at the National Training Center in Clermont, Fla. The Wildcats square off against Ohio Dominican at 5 p.m. on Tuesday before facing Indianapolis at 7 p.m.