LAKELAND, Fla. - - A walk-off win for Florida Southern in the final inning of Wilmington University's Florida Trip soiled Friday night for the Wildcats, as Wilmington earned another split in the Sunshine State, winning game one, 5-4, before falling in game two, 6-5, at Chris Bellotto Field.
The Wildcats are now 8-6 overall and have earned splits in six straight doubleheaders. They return north after going 2-2 in Georgia and 4-4 in Florida.
GAME 1:
A five-run third inning was all Delani Sheehan and the Wildcats needed in the opener, despite fending off the Mocs in the final two innings.
Speed gave the Wildcats their first run of the game, as Lexi Moore took off for second. The throw down got away and Tristyn Stewart trotted home with the game's first run. Taylor Gillis then lofted one to left that couldn't be handled, allowing Moore to score easily.
Haley Downin collected the third hit of the inning with an RBI single, giving the Wildcats a 3-0 lead. Sara Miller stepped in and launched the team's first homer of the season, keeping it fair down the left field line for the 5-0 lead.
After the Sheehan got the first two out in the fifth, a triple and a single put the Mocs on the board. But Sheehan was able to strand a leadoff double in the fourth and sat the Mocs down in order in the fifth.
Florida Southern collected five hits in the sixth in an attempt to come back, getting three consecutive RBI singles and bringing the tying run to third base. Delani Sheehan came back in and delivered the third out, leaving the Wildcats in front, 5-4.
The Mocs put the tying run on to lead off the seventh, but Emma Zimmerman gunned down the would be base stealer for the first out. The Mocs had another chance with a two-out single, but Sheehan induced an infield popup to end the game, 5-4.
Lexi Moore went 2-for-4 with a run while Taylor Gillis, Haley Downin, Sara Miller, Emma Zimmerman, and Tristyn Stewart all had one hit. Delanie Sheehan improved to 3-3 with the win.
GAME 2:
The seventh inning is going to leave a sour taste in the mouth of the Wildcats to end their Florida trip, as the Mocs scored three runs (two unearned) to walk-off with the win and earn the split.
The Wildcats got off to a fast start in game two, loading the bases with only one out. Sara Miller hit a sacrifice fly and then the ball got away on the throw back into the infield, allowing another run to score.
But the Mocs erased the deficit wuickly in the bottom of the first, hitting a two-out, three-run homer to take the lead, 3-2.
A heady play on the base paths by Jess Reed allowed Tristyn Stewart to score the tying run, 3-3, in the second. Haley Downin then plated Moore who singled and stole second in the third inning, and the Wildcats were back in front, 4-3. Tristyn Stewart and Jess Reed singled to start the fourth and were standing in scoring position with one out. Taylor Gillis hit a sacrifice fly to left, but that would be all the Wildcats would get in the inning, leading 5-3.
Looking for three outs in the bottom of the seventh for the win, the Wildcats started the inning with a pair of errors to put the tying runs on base. An RBI single brought the Mocs to within 5-4. Maddi Conner then lined one over the head of Bella Eleazar in left, chasing the game-tying and winning run around from first, starting the celebration.
Jess Reed went 4-for-4 at the plate while Haley Downing went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Kylee Gunkel was the tough luck loser in game two, going the distance with seven strikeouts, while allowing six runs (three earned) on four hits and four walks. She fell to 4-1 on the year.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats will open their 2023 home slate on Tuesday with a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader against Alliance University (formerly Nyack). The first pitch will be at 2:30 p.m. and the game will be available to watch on the CACC Network.
