POMONA, N.Y. - - The Wilmington University baseball team used the early and often mantra on Monday afternoon as the Wildcats swept the only two Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games they had this week, taking down Nyack 10-3 and 13-2, at Provident Bank Park.
Wilmington (24-13, 11-6 CACC) swept their fourth consecutive CACC doubleheader, keeping a firm grip on third place in the standings. Nyack (17-17, 7-7 CACC) dropped to fifth in the CACC standings with the pair of losses.
The Wildcats scored in all but two innings in the first game, picking up 10 hits and scoring consistently to open up a 7-1 lead after the first six innings. They tacked on two more in the eighth and added a run in the top of the ninth to close out the scoring.
Every batter in the Wildcat starting lineup recorded at least one base hit in the first game, while first baseman Adam Soley was the only batter to tally two hits. Soley led off the third with a home run, batting 2-for-3 with two RBI's and two runs scored in the series opener. BJ Janney led off the game with a triple for his only hit, coming home to score on a Joe Harbach sacrifice fly for the game's first run. Janney finished 1-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.
Designated hitter Bryan Miller also collected two RBI's on the afternoon, doubling home Mike Godwin and Jordan Oncay in the top of the sixth to make it 6-1 at that point in the contest.
Justin DeLong improved his season record to a team high 6-2 after pitching seven innings. He struck out eight batters in the win, allowing three runs on six hits. He is not fifth in the CACC with 48 strikeouts on the year. Rob Gore threw a scoreless eighth inning before Tyler Fries came on to close out the contest with a scoreless ninth inning.
Ryan Lally shut down the Nyack offense in game two, only allowing an eighth inning run to scratch across the plate. He picked up six strikeouts in the outing, giving up the one run on four hits in eight innings of action. Freshman James Fallers came on for the ninth to close out the game and the doubleheader sweep.
The offense was more heavy hitting in game two, as they recorded a three run second inning to take the lead and put the game away with an eight run seventh inning. The Wildcats knocked the ball around, totaling 17 hits in game two.
The Wildcat got three consecutive hits in the second, started by Matt Lopes double to lead off the inning. Brandon Payne singled, but was caught at second attempting to steal a batter later. With Lopes on third, Kyle Hitchens singled to start the scoring with the game's first run. Janney singled to left field, bringing Hitchens home before Harbach singled in Janney for the 3-0 lead.
That would be more than enough for Lally and Fallers in game two. The offense stayed hot, however, as the Wildcats tacked on single runs in the fourth and fifth innings before putting it away with eight runs in the seventh. The eight runs came on six hits in the inning and aided by four Warrior errors.
Janney, Oncay, Lopes and Hitchens each collected three hits in game two. Lopes smacked two doubles in the game while Oncay also hit a two-bagger. Harbach and Payne also added two hits to the cause, while pinch hitter Frank Samluk capped the hits by going 1-for-2 in relief at shortstop.
Wilmington, winners of 11 of its last 12 game, looks to stay red-hot as the Wildcats get a chance to play at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies, on Tuesday against NCBWA No. 17 West Chester. The game is the championship of the 12th annual Bill Giles Invitational for local NCAA Division II schools. The first pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.