Copyright 2016; Wilmington University. All rights reserved. File photo of Meghan Brown against USciences, taken by Frank Stallworth.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - - The Wilmington University softball team did a little bit of everything in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference sweep over Philadelphia on Wednesday, winning 13-5 and 3-1, to stretch their CACC winning streak to 10 straight.
The 10-straight conference wins for the Wildcats stretches their CACC leading record to 13-1, now sitting at 18-14 overall. The 13-1 CACC mark sets a new record to start the conference season, breaking the 11-1 mark set in 2008.
The Wildcats broke out the bats in the opener against Philadelphia (6-22-1, 4-12 CACC) before riding the arms of Brooklyn Lachette and Caitlyn Whiteside to the win in the nightcap.
The game started fast for the Wildcats, as they put three runs on the board in the top of the first. Meghan Brown stayed hot and hit a double to the gap in right center, scoring Jazmeen Llamas to break the ice. A first and third played resulted in two more runs, as a rundown throwing error hit Brown in the baseline, bringing in both Brown and Danielle Bradley for the 3-0 lead.
Colby Wyatt started her productive day with an RBI single in the third inning, providing the Wildcats with a 4-1 cushion. The Rams cut the deficit to 4-3 with two runs in the fourth, scoring on an RBI double and a sacrifice fly, ending the day for the starter Bradley.
An unearned run in the top of the fifth put WilmU ahead 5-3 but it was a grand slam from Bradley at the plate in the top of the sixth in which gave the Wildcats breathing room. The Wildcats put the first three runners on base in the inning before Bradley hit her first home run of the season to left field.
The Wildcats weren't done in the game, however, as Llamas bunted in a run, Brown singled home Llamas and Becca Stanley, and Bradley added another RBI single in the seventh.
Lachette tossed the final 3.1 of game one to move to 4-5 on the season. Bradley struck out four, but allowed three runs on five hits in the first 3.2 innings.
The nightcap was a completely different ball game, as Lachette and Whiteside held the Rams to four hits and just one unearned run for the sweep.
The offense again gave the pitchers a lead, scoring a run in the top of the third. Brown continued her hot streak with another RBI single, scoring Taylor Rizzotte from second.
Whiteside came on to start the bottom of the fourth, but a leadoff walk came around to score to tie the game, 1-1. The Wildcats went down in order in the fifth but received a clutch one-out doubled in the sixth from Wyatt to score Shannon Brantley for the 2-1 lead.
Whiteside left a one-out hit on first in the sixth to allow the offense to get back to the plate. Stanley started the seventh with a leadoff walk and was standing on third with one out as Brown singled to left center. Bradley then reached on a throwing error, allowing Stanley to score from third for an insurance run, 3-1.
The Rams got a two-out pinch hit single in the home half of the seventh, but Whiteside retired the next batter to end the game and the sweep.
Brown went 5-for-7 with three RBI and three runs scored in the doubleheader while Bradley batted 3-for-4 with five RBI and three runs scored in the opener. Wyatt batted 4-for-8 with two RBI in the sweep as well.
Whiteside moved to 6-4 with the win in game two, allowing two hits while striking out three batters.
The Wildcats go out of the CACC for their next doubleheader, as they head to Dowling for a double dip on Friday. The team stays in New York for the weekend, as they will make the trip to Nyack on Saturday for another CACC doubleheader.