CLERMONT, Fla. - - Sophomore Caitlyn Whiteside capped the Wilmington University softball team's annual trip to Florida with yet another complete game shutout, this time blanking Hillsdale, 1-0, to stretch the team's winning streak to seen straight at the National Training Center on Friday afternoon.
It is her second straight complete game 1-0 shutout and third complete game shutout of the week. She struck out a season's best eight batter while only allowing two hits in the win. It is Whiteside's fifth complete game shutout of the season already.
With the win, the Wildcats (10-5) extend their winning streak to seven straight after being swept on Monday during their first day of the trip to the NTC. They lost four straight at that point before rattling off the final seven games of the week.
Hillsdale's (6-6) pitcher Dana Weidinger was also dealing on Friday, as she went the distance and only allowed three hits without walking a batter. But the Wildcats were able to get to the pitcher in the second inning.
After Whiteside escaped a jam with leaving two runners on base in the top of the second, the bats came through in the bottom half. Colby Wyatt started the frame with a leadoff triple to right, but was left there as Weidinger picked up the next two outs. But Meghan Brown came up with a clutch two-out single to center, scoring pinch runner Taylor Cappella for the game's only run.
Both of the Hillsdale's hits came in the first three innings and then Whiteside buckled down the rest of the way. She set them down in order in the fourth and fifth innings before leaving a hit batter on first base in the sixth. She then struck out the side in the top of the seventh to end the game.
In addition to Wyatt and Brown's hits, Whitney DeMora went 1-for-3 to round out the three Wildcat hits. Whiteside is now 6-2 on the season.
The Wildcats will take the next week to recover from playing nine games in five days before starting their Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference defense with a doubleheader at Bloomfield on March 18.