NEW CASTLE, Del. - - Pitchers Brooke Koehler and Renamarie Rocha each collected a season-high in strikeouts while throwing complete game victories in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference sweep of Chestnut Hill, 8-0 and 9-1, on Wednesday afternoon at Asbury Field.

Freshman Brook Koehler (Phoenix, Ariz.) picked up her first collegiate victory in the opener on Wednesday, striking out a season-high eight batters while tossing a complete game, two-hit shutout. Renamarie Rocha (Garden Grove, Calif.) struck out a season's best five batters to move to 2-0 on the season, throwing a complete game four-hitter, allowing only one run.

GAME 1:

A five-run second inning pushed the Wildcats to the brink of the mercy rule being enacted. The Wildcats had 13 hits in the opener, with seven of them coming in the second inning alone.

Already leading 2-0, the Wildcats put four straight singles on base, with the third coming off the bat of Taylor Gillis for a two-run single. Bri Coyle added a two-run single two batters later and then Isabella Eleazar capped the inning with another RBI single to make it 7-0.

Chestnut Hill loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the third inning, but Brooke Koehler induced an infield fly and then struck out the next two batters to keep the shutout in order.

Haley Downin and Isabella Eleazar hit back-to-back doubles in the bottom of the fourth to score a run, putting the mercy rule into effect in the fifth. Brooke Koehler set the Griffins down in order in the fifth to close out the victory.

Haley Downin went 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI while Jess Reed, Lexi Moore, Taylor Gillis, and Isabella Eleazar all had two hits. Gillis led the team with three RBI.

GAME 2:

Renamarie Rocha ran into a bit of trouble in the top of the first, but then shut the Griffins down the rest of the way. A one-out double off the base of the fence in left scored Chestnut Hill's only run of the game.

The offense picked Rocha up in the bottom of the first, scoring four runs on six hits to go along with one Griffin error. Eleazar put down a squeeze bunt for the first run and then Haley Downin push-bunted a ball past the pitcher and into open space, running for an RBI bunt double. Emma Zimmerman followed with an RBI single, and the Wildcats led 4-1.

Errors helped the Wildcats score one run in the second and two more in the third to take a 7-1 lead, and then all they were looking for were two runs to force the mercy rule.

The Wildcats left two runners on base in the fifth but then scored in the sixth for the sweep. Taylor Gillis led off the inning with a single through the right side. The ball then snuck under the glove of the right fielder and all the way to the fence, allowing Gillis to race around the bases and score. Lexi Moore followed with a triple to center before Gabriella Saucedo squeezed her home for the game-winning run, 9-1.

Lexi Moore was a homer away from the cycle, going 3-for-4 with a double and triple and two runs scored. Taylor Gillis had two more hits, as did Haley Downin. Saucedo led the team with two RBI in the win.

UP NEXT:

The Wildcats stay in the CACC and head to Post on Saturday. The doubleheader in Waterbury, Connecticut, is set for a 1:00 p.m. start.