NEW CASTLE, Del. - - The Wilmington University softball team earned a hard-fought split against Kutztown on Sunday, dropping the first game, 6-3, before winning the nightcap, 8-4, at Asbury Field.
The offense came away with 12 hits in game two, five of which went for extra-base hits in the win. Kylee Gunkel struck out seven to improve to 9-8 on the season.
GAME 1:
Kutztown (20-10) struck first for five runs in the second and third innings, but the Wildcats could only get as close as 5-3 after the fourth inning.
A two-run homer put the Bears on the board in the top of the second and then an RBI single put the visitors ahead, 3-0. Three straight hits to start the third put a run across and then another RBI single made it 5-0 in the top of the third.
Tristyn Stewart singled and Adriana Bueno doubled to put runners on second and third with one out in the third. Lexi Moore grounded out but scored Stewart to put the Wildcats on the board.
With two outs and a runner on second in the fourth, Kiersten comer singled to left to make it 5-2. Emma Zimmerman followed with an RBI triple to right, closing the gap to 5-3 after four complete innings.
The offense was shut down the rest of the way, going down in order in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings.
The Bears' Bridget Bailey improved to 11-4 in the circle with the win. Adriana Bueno went 2-for-3 in the loss.
GAME 2:
The Wildcats collected three triples and two doubles in the nightcap, bouncing back to earn the split against the tough PSAC foe.
Adriana Bueno remained red hot in game two, starting the bottom of the first off with a triple down the right field line. Lexi Moore then beat out an infield single, scoring Bueno for the quick, 1-0 lead.
Emma Zimmerman kept the bottom of the fourth alive with a two-out single down the left field line. Arianna Millan followed with a single and then Sara Miller brought them both in with a two-run triple to right center, making it 3-0 after the fourth.
Kylee Gunkel left a leadoff double on third in the top of the fifth and then Lauren Lopez hit a two-out RBI single through the right side, adding to the Wildcats' lead, 4-0, after five full innings.
The Bears finally got on the board in the top of the sixth with a two-out solo homer, but that's all they could muster before the Wildcats added three insurance runs in the bottom of the inning.
Arianna Millan tripled home Emma Zimmerman for the first run and then Adriana Bueno hit a two-run double to score Millan and Miller. Two batters later, Haley Downin plated Bueno with an RBI single, making it 8-1.
Those runs proved valuable as the Bears had one last push in them in the seventh. The Bears started the inning with four straight hits, scoring twice on singles. Gunkel struck out the next two batters before the Bears hit another RBI single to cut the deficit to 8-4. But Gunkel induced a fly ball to right to end the game.
Lexi Moore went 3-for-4 with a double while Bueno, Millan, Millan, and Miller all had two hits as well. Bueno and Miller led with two RBI each.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats host Holy Family on Tuesday at Asbury Field. The first pitch of the CACC doubleheader is set for 2:30 p.m.