LAKEWOOD, N.J. - - Runs were hard to come by for the Wilmington University softball team as they were eliminated from the 2017 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament with losses to fifth seeded Goldey-Beacom, 2-0, and eighth seeded Post, 9-1 (6 inn.), on Thursday afternoon on the campus of Georgian Court University.
With the losses, the Wildcats' (34-19) fate rests in the hands of the NCAA Division II East Region selection committee to see if they will advance to their fourth straight NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament. The NCAA Selection Show is scheduled for Monday morning at 10:00 a.m. on NCAA.com.
Despite the losses, freshman Rosa'Lynn Burton set another single season program record, going 2-for-3 in the elimination game for her 84th hit of the season. She broke Brook Ash's mark of 83 hits during the 2013 season. Ash was also a freshman when she set the mark.
The opening game against the fifth seeded Lightning came down to two-out hits, and it was Goldey-Beacom that came up with a pair of two-out RBI while the Wildcats did not.
The Wildcats had an opportunity in the bottom of the first inning, but Jazmeen Llamas was thrown out at the plate attempting to score on a two-out base knock by Kaitlyn Slater.
The Lightning capitalized in the top of the second inning, scoring on a two-out double to left for the 1-0 lead. Colby Wyatt started the bottom of the second with a leadoff double, but the runner was left stranded on second as the inning ended.
A leadoff single in the top of the fourth resulted in another two-out double to left field for the Lightning, as the visitors took a 2-0 lead. Wyatt was once again stranded on second as the fourth inning came to a close and Llamas' one-out double in the sixth went for naught, as she was left stranded standing on second as well.
Mirabella Klebart walked with one out to give the Wildcats' life in their final at-bat, but Shelby Murphy robbed Emily Luna of extra bases with a nice leaping catch in the gap for the second out. A fly ball to right ended the threat and the game for the Wildcats.
Post jumped all over the Wildcats in the elimination game, as the Eagles put up a four spot in the top of the second and three more runs in the top of the fifth. Five hits in the top of the second, coupled by a pair of Wilmington errors, allowed the Eagles to score four times and swing the momentum into their favor. A two-run blast and another error-caused run pushed the Eagles lead to 7-0 in the top of the fifth.
Pinch hitter Lexi Baughman put the Wildcats on the board in the bottom of the fifth, blasting her first career home run on a line to left. But the Eagles answered with another two-run blast in the top of the sixth to set the eight-run mercy rule into effect. The Wildcats went in order in the bottom of the sixth and were eliminated from the Tournament.
Llamas and Wyatt collected two hits each in the opener while Burton went 2-for-3 in the nightcap.
