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NEW CASTLE, Del. - - The run continues for the Wilmington University softball team as it swept a nonconference doubleheader from Molloy, 2-1 and 10-2, on Sunday afternoon at Asbury Field.
With the sweep, the Wildcats are now 10-1 in their last 11 games overall, winning four straight with back-to-back sweeps at home.
GAME 1:
A pair of two-out RBI in the bottom of the first inning proved to be more than enough for freshman pitcher Kylee Gunkel in the opener. The freshman won her third consecutive appearance, going the distance on Sunday with five strikeouts and only allowing a run on five hits. She is now 7-5 on the season.
With two outs in the bottom of the first and Lexi Moore on second, Haley Downin went to the opposite field and beat the right fielder for a triple, scoring Moore for the 1-0 lead. Sara Miller followed by beating the left fielder down the line for a double, giving the Wildcats the 2-0 lead.
Molloy scored in the top of the third inning, but any momentum was thwarted as Tristyn Stewart gunned down Katie Hand trying to take second on the RBI hit for the third out of the inning.
Molloy left one runner on base in each of the first, second, fourth, and fifth innings, but never truly threatened again. Lauren Lopez hit a one-out double in the third, but she was left stranded at third. Each team left five runners on base in the game.
The Lions started the seventh inning with a single to put the tying run on base. But Gunkel struck out a batter and induced a ground ball to third needing just one more out for the win. Gunkel induced a pop-up in foul ground and Stewart was able to make the catch in foul ground, up against the fence in front of the Lion dugout to end the game.
Five different Wildcats had hits in the game with Lopez and Miller hitting doubles and Downin hitting her RBI triple.
GAME 2:
After Molloy tied the game, 2-2, in the top of the second, the Wildcats' bats came alive by scoring at least one run in each of their next five at-bats to win the game in six-innings, 10-2.
The Wildcats scored twice in the bottom of the first once again, getting another first inning RBI from Sara Miller. Molloy answered in the top of the second, getting a leadoff double while the first four batters of the inning reached base.
Emma Zimmerman tripled to start the bottom of the second and eventually came home on a two-out double down the left field line by Taylor Gillis to give the Wildcats the lead once again, 3-2.
Gabbie Saucedo came up with a big two-run single in the bottom of the third, scoring Courtney Dellinger and Haley Downin as the Wildcats loaded the bases without any outs.
Renamarie Rocha came on to pitch in the third, facing first and third with no outs. She gave up a single to left, but Gabbie Saucedo gunned down the runner at the plate to keep the Lions off the board. Rocha then induced a ground ball to second and another back to the circle to get out of the inning unscathed.
An error and a Lauren Lopez RBI groundout made it 7-2 in the fourth and then Rocha hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth to make it 8-2. Rocha left two runners on in the top of the sixth and the Wildcats ended the game in the bottom half.
With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Danielle Hess stepped in as a pinch hitter and sliced a ball all the way to the fence in right. Arianna Millan and Gabbie Saucedo scored to force the mercy rule, 10-2.
Renamarie Rocha went the final 3.0 innings to earn the win, striking out two while only allowing three hits. Saucedo and Hess led the way with two RBI each while Taylor Gillis went 3-for-3 with a double. Haley Downin, Emma Zimmerman, and Tristyn Stewart each had two hits as well.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats will take Monday off before returning to action on Tuesday afternoon. They will take the short trip to West Chester, Pennsylvania, to take on the Golden Rams. The first pitch on Tuesday is set for 2:00 p.m.