Copyright 2016; Wilmington University. All rights reserved. Photo of Cambria Ziemba in action on Sunday.
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - - A late game rally in Sunday's first game allowed the Wilmington University softball team to split a pair of games to wrap up the Snowbird Softball Freeze Out Tournament, defeating Mansfield, 9-3, before falling to Molloy, 6-1m at Grand Park.
The Wildcats (2-4) fell behind Mansfield (1-4), 3-2, after fourth innings, but out seven runs on the board in their final three at-bats to run away with the victory. In the nightcap, the Wildcats could only muster three hits against Molloy (1-5) pitcher Chelsea Hawks in falling in the tournament's finale.
The Wildcats jumped out early against Mansfield, getting ahead in the top of the first inning. With Taylor Rizzotte on second base, Cambria Ziemba singled back up the middle to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead. Kaitlyn Slater chased Ziemba home form second with another single up the middle, quickly giving Wilmington the 2-0 lead.
The Mountaineers tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the third, and then added a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 3-2 lead. But the Wildcats answered back in the top of the fifth inning, getting a two-out double down the left field line from Ziemba, scoring Rizzotte from second base. The Wildcats were able to take the lead for good as Slater reached on a throwing error from the pitcher, allowing Ziemba to come home for the 4-3 lead.
The Wildcats tacked on two more runs in the top of the sixth inning, connecting on three straight hits. Shannon Brantley did the damage with a two-run double, scoring Becca Stanley and Colby Wyatt.
Cailtyn Whiteside shut down Mansfield in the sixth and the offense responded once more. Meghan Brown singled in Ziemba before Stalney launched the team's first home run of the season to give the Wildcats the 9-3 lead. Whiteside left the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, picking up her first collegiate win in the circle.
Ziemba and Stanley finished with three hits and two RBI each, both batting 3-for-4 in the game. Wyatt added a 2-for-4 game while Brantley went 1-for-3 with the two RBI. Whiteside relieved Brooklyn Lachette to start the fourth inning and pitched four innings while allowing one run on three hits for the win.
Five errors harmed the Wildcats in the nightcap, including the allowing unearned runs in each of the first two innings to fall behind 2-0.
The Wildcats' first hit didn't come until the fourth inning, while they did their damage in the fifth inning. Back-to-back two out doubles brought the Wildcats to within 2-1 in the fifth, with doubles from Jazmeen Llamas and Meghan Brown.
But Molloy answered right back in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four runs on four hits to regain momentum with a 6-1 lead. The Golden Lions' Hawks then shut down the Wildcats in order in the sixth and seventh innings to close out the game.
The Wildcats return to Delaware and have two weeks to prepare for their next opponent. The Wildcats will host reigning East Region Tournament Champion Adelphi on March 5 before heading to Florida for their annual trip.
