The Wilmington University softball team jumped out to early leads and used crooked numbers to sweep Dowling, 10-0 and 9-1, in a pair of five-inning games on Tuesday afternoon at Asbury Field in the teams' final nonconference doubleheader of the year.
Chelsea Botsch extended her shutout streak to seven consecutive games with the five-inning, one-hit shutout in the first game. She has now given the Wildcats (26-13) 40.2 consecutive innings in the circle without allowing a run.
Botsch struck out a pair in the top of the first and the offense gave the senior a four run lead to work with. Kelsey Doherty led things off with a double before Danielle Bradley tripled in Doherty and Cambria Ziemba for a quick 2-0 lead. Miranda Pedersen followed Bradley with the Wildcats' fourth straight hit, launching her fifth home run of the year for a two-run shot.
The offense was at it again in the bottom of the second, getting a pair of RBI from Kaitlyn Slater to score Doherty and Ziemba once again. Botsch put the Golden Lions (15-26-1) down in order again in the third before the Wildcats put the game out of reach with four more runs in the third. Bradley singled in a run before a pitch hit Pedersen with the bases loaded to force in another run. Slater singled back up the middle with the bases loaded, scoring two more for the 10-0 lead.
Botsch gave up her lone hit of the game in the fourth inning, a two-out single to left center. The senior was able to work around the single, leaving the runner at first to get out of the inning. Botsch then struck out the side in the top of the fifth, wrapping up the game one win.
Ziemba, Bradley, and Slater finished the game with two hits each while Slater led all with four RBI. Pedersen and Bradley finished with three RBI each.
Dowling took the lead in the top of the first in game two, getting to game two starter Brooke Lachette with a lead off single and a one-out double. But after the first inning, Lachette only allowed three hits the rest of the game.
The offense gave Lachette the lead with two runs in the second as Colby Wyatt led off the inning with a double. Taylor Rizzotte ground out to second which allowed Wyatt to score two batters later before pinch runner Shannon McMahon gave the Wildcats the lead by scoring on a wild pitch.
Pedersen was at it again in the bottom of the third inning, launching her sixth home run of the season to center field, putting the Wildcats up 3-1 after the third.
Lachette sat the Golden Lions down in order in the fourth and the bats put the game away in the home half. The first three batters reached for the Wildcats and Stanley singled in a run to start the scoring. Doherty plated two runs with a single into center field before Ziemba followed suit with another two-run single to right center. Pedersen finished off the six-run inning with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Ziemba from third.
Lachette completed the sweep by leaving a one-out single at first in the top of the fifth, striking out the final batter of the game.
Botsch struck out seven in the opener to improve to a CACC best 13-5 while Lachette fanned three and improved to 10-6 on the season.
The Wildcats return to CACC play to finish out their season, playing an important doubleheader against Post on Friday. The Wildcats will be the visitors on the scoreboard but the games will be played at Asbury Field. The first pitch of the doubleheader will be at 12:00 p.m.
