NEW CASTLE, Del. - - The Wilmington University softball team locked up the fourth seed in the upcoming Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament with a doubleheader sweep over Nyack, 10-0 and 3-0, on Saturday afternoon at Asbury Field, sending the seniors off in style on Senior Day.
The Wildcats (34-17, 17-9 CACC) finished the regular season with five straight complete game shutouts by the pitching staff, making it 19 shutouts on the year. The Wildcats have not allowed a run in the final 34.1 innings of the regular season.
It didn't take long for the Wildcats to get the offense going in the opener, as Rosa'Lynn Burton walked and Alyssa Velasquez doubled to right center for a quick 1-0 lead. Colby Wyatt followed suit with a two-run double to right center, putting the Wildcats ahead, 3-0, after one complete.
The scoring continued in the bottom of the second as Becca Stanley and Velasquez executed a double steal for the 4-0 lead. Kaitlyn Slater beat out a two-out infield single to push the lead to 5-0 after two innings of play.
Mirabella Klebart got in on the act in the third inning, as she doubled in Whitney DeMora before Burton added an RBI single back up the middle for the 7-0 lead. An error brought in the Wildcats' eighth run of the game in the bottom of the third, bringing the mercy-rule into effect. Klebart capped the scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning, hitting a triple down the left field line to plate Meghan Brown and Emily Luna for the 10-0 advantage.
Brooklyn Lachette capped her career at Asbury Field with her second consecutive complete game shutout. She left two on in the second, but didn't allow a runner past first base the rest of the game. She struck out three batters while only allowing three hits to improve to 6-3 on her senior season.
It wasn't as easy to score in the nightcap, but the Wildcats jumped out in front of the Warriors early on once again. With two outs and a runner on first, Kaitlyn Slater kept the inning alive with a single to right to move Jazmeen Llamas to third. Llamas put the Wildcats on the board by stealing home, 1-0.
The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the fifth, as starter Caitlyn Whiteside kept the Warriors off the board.
Becca Stanley gave the Wildcats a 2-0 cushion with her fourth homer of the season, blasting a solo shot to center in the bottom of the fifth. Whiteside stranded two runners on base in the top of the sixth, and the Wildcats tacked on another insurance run in the bottom of the inning. With two outs and Velasquez on second, Meghan Brown singled back up the middle to put the home team ahead, 3-0.
Whiteside then complete the shutout by getting a pair of fly balls to end the contest. Whiteside improved to 17-7 on the year, striking out six batters while only allowing six hits and one walk.
The Wildcats' regular season has come to a close, but the rest of the CACC Tournament picture has yet to be determined. The Wildcats will play in the CACC Tournament starting on Thursday, May 4 on the campus of Georgian Court University in Lakewood, New Jersey. Their opponent and time is yet to be determined.
