WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - - The Wilmington University softball team dropped a pair of regional contests during their annual trip to The Spring Games, falling to Assumption, 6-2, and Bridgeport, 2-0, on Monday afternoon.
GAME 1:
Assumption used a six-run third inning to take control of the contest, as the Wildcat bats were quiet on Monday morning.
The Wildcats had runners on first and third base with one out in the bottom of the first, but only scored on a Lauren Lopez sacrifice fly, taking a 1-0 lead after the first inning.
Haley Downin struck out two in the top of the second, but the Greyhounds (2-4) were able to get to the sophomore in the top of the third. Assumption put the first two runners on with a single and a double, and then they took the lead with a one-out, two-run single. Another RBI single and then an RBI double, all in succession, gave the Greyhounds a 4-1 lead. Two batters, the Greyhound produced another RBI single and then an RBI groundout ended the scoring, 6-1.
The Wildcats had back-to-back one-out singles in the fourth, but again could only score one in the inning on a sacrifice fly by Emma Zimmerman.
Tristyn Stewart was left stranded at third in the fifth inning, but that was the final base runner for the Wildcats as the Greyhounds closed out the sixth and seventh in order, 6-2.
Adriana Bueno went 2-for-3 with a double while Stewart, Mexi Moore, and Arianna Milan all had hits as well.
Downing went all seven, allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits and two walks. She struck out four in the loss.
GAME 2:
The Wildcats ran into a buzzsaw in the nightcap of Monday, facing one of the best pitchers in the East Region and even all of NCAA DII. Named the East Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week on Monday, Bridgeport's (5-2) Katie Burawski kept up the great early season she was having and struck out 15 Wildcats without issuing a walk in a complete game, four-hit shutout.
But her counterpart, and the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Rookie of the Week, Kylee Gunkel did her part as well, keeping the Wildcats in the game all day long, only allowing two runs on eight hits, striking out two batters without a walk in her second game of her career.
Downin was the first to get to Burawski with a leadoff double in the top of the third, but the lefty then struck out the next three Wildcats, leaving Downin on second. The Knights put two on in the third, but Gunkel induced a ground ball to get out of the jam.
Lauren Lopez doubled in the top of the fourth to put runners on second and third with only one out, but again Burawski buckled down and struck out the next two batters to escape the jam. A pair of singles started the bottom of the fourth for the Knights and then everyone was safe on a bunt play back to the pitcher, scoring a run for the 1-0 lead.
Bridgeport added another in the fifth, starting with a leadoff double. After a sacrifice bunt, a single back up the middle made it a 2-0 lead for the Purple Knights.
Lauren Lopez started the seventh by reaching on an error, but a game-ending around the horn double play ended the threat, and the game, 2-0.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats travel to Melbourne, Florida to take on Florida Tech on Tuesday night. The first pitch of the doubleheader is set for 4:00 p.m.
