Copyright 2016; Wilmington University. All rights reserved. Photo of Jazmeen Llamas' RBI single in game one, taken by Joseph Craig.
NEW CASTLE, Del. - - The arms in the circle are starting to heat up for the Wilmington University softball team, as the Wildcats blanked Holy Family, 1-0 and 7-0, in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Asbury Field.
A first inning run was all Danielle Bradley needed in the opener before Brooklyn Lachette went the distance in the nightcap to earn the sweep for the Wildcats (12-12, 7-1 CACC). The wins are the first against the Tigers (8-10, 2-4 CACC) in the regular season since the 2012 season.
Junior Becca Stanley continued her torrid stretch to lead off the bottom of the first inning, and was standing on third base with one out after a stolen base and sacrifice. Jazmeen Llamas singled Stanley home with an RBI single, putting the Wildcats on the board.
That would be all Bradley would need, as she worked through 5.1 innings, only allowing one hit and four walks. She struck out three batters before turning it over to Caitlyn Whiteside.
A hit-by-pitch and a walk brought Whiteside into the game in the top of the sixth, and she was able to keep the Tigers off the board with a line out and a grounder to second. The freshman than pulled a Houdini and snuck out of a seventh inning jam with runner son second and third with no outs. She picked up a valuable strikeout before inducing a grounder to short and a comebacker to the circle to end the game and pick up her second save of the year.
Stanley went 2-for-2 with the run scored while Bradley improved to 4-5 in the circle.
Lachette induced 11 ground ball outs in the nightcap and again got early run support to lead the team to the doubleheader sweep.
The scoring again started in the bottom of the first for the Wildcats, as Kailtyn Slater doubled home Cambria Ziemba and Llamas to gain momentum once more.
Lachette left one runner on in each the second and third innings, and the offense was back at it in the home half of the third. Taylor Rizzotte started things off with a leadoff single before Stanley put two runners on with a single to left. With the runners on second and third, Llamas reached on a fielder's choice and Rizzotte came home for the 3-0 lead. Llamas then stole second, allowing Stanley to scamper home for the 4-0 advantage.
Lachette worked around a one-out double in the fourth and stranded a two-out single in the fifth. Another leadoff double for the Tigers was left at third in the top of the sixth.
Shannon Brantley started a one-out rally in the sixth, singling down the left field line. Now with runners on first and second, pinch hitter Sarah Coyne gave Lachette and the Wildcats breathing room with her first collegiate home run, blasting one to right center.
With runners on the corners in the top of the seventh, the Wildcats turned a 4-6-3 double play to escape the jam and secure the game two shutout.
Brantley batted 2-for-3 in the nightcap while Coyne (3) and Slater (2) led the way in runs batted in. Lachette only allowed six hits to improve to 3-4 on the year.
The Wildcats remain in CACC play for their next doubleheader, as they head to Georgian Court on Tuesday afternoon. First pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 2:30 p.m.
