MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - - The Wilmington University softball team wrapped up its season opening weekend with a pair of losses on Sunday, falling to Merrimack, 5-0, before closing out the day with a 6-3 setback to Concord at the Ned Donkle Complex.
The Wildcats (3-3) got the bats going early in its first four games of the 2017 Snowbird Softball Freeze Out Tournament, but had trouble finding their stroke on Sunday against Merrimack and Concord. They were limited to just five hits in the two games.
Merrimack's Megan Cook was dealing in the circle in the first game of the day, striking out five while not allowing the Wildcats to get anything going offensively. The Wildcats went down in order in each of the first five innings and Cook had a perfect game going with two outs in the sixth. Pinch hitter Jazmeen Llamas broke that up with a slap over the third baseman and down the left field line that dropped in. But she would be stranded at first as Cook got the next batter to foul out.
The Warriors scored a pair of unearned runs in the second inning and tacked on three more with three hits, a walk, and a hit by pitch for the 5-0 lead. The Wildcats were not able to get anything going with their final at-bat in the seventh as Cook only faced 22 batters in the contest.
Concord jumped out in front in the nightcap with a run in the bottom of the first inning, but the Wildcats answered in the top of the third. With two outs and Mirabella Klebart on second, Rosa'Lynn Burton singled to left to bring in Klebart and tie the game.
Burton was at it again with a two-out rally in the fifth, as Klebart and Llamas reach base to spark the inning. Burton doubled to left center chasing around Klebart and Llamas to move ahead 3-1.
But the Mountain Lions responded in the bottom of the sixth inning, changing the momentum of the game. Concord cut the deficit to 3-2 with a solo homer to lead off the inning and then loaded the bases with only one out. A bases loaded walk forced in a run to tie the game before a two-run single gave the Mountain Lions the lead, 5-3. An RBI groundout ended the scoring for Concord, but they were suddenly ahead, 6-3, with only three outs remaining.
The Wildcats couldn't mount a comeback in the top of the seventh, going down in order to end the game.
Burton was the only Wildcat with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI. Meghan Brown and Klebart added hits for the Wildcats.
Caitlyn Whiteside was saddled with the loss against Merrimack while Danielle Bradley picked up the loss against Concord.
The Wildcats have 15 days to recharge and refocus before they play again, as they are off until their annual trip to Florida starting on Monday, March 6.