LANTANA, Fla. - - Timely hitting and a lights out bull pen led the Wilmington University baseball team to a doubleheader sweep over Saint Rose, 7-4 and 8-2, snapping a three game losing skid on Thursday afternoon at the Santaluces Sports Complex during the team's Spring Break trip.
The Wildcats (7-5) took an early lead in game one and rode the pitching of Dave Hatt, Tim Racek, and Nick Marics to the game one victory before needing a late rally with eight runs in their final two at-bats to take game two and earn the sweep. The bullpen play of Jarrett Shaffer, Racek, and Tyler Fries was crucial in the comeback in game two as well on Friday night.
Senior Dave Hatt took the mound for the Wildcats in game one, throwing 5.2 innings while giving up four runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out three Golden Knights (2-8) for his first win of the season. Hatt received early run support in the second and third innings.
A part of his 3-for-4 game, Matt Lopes started the second with a one out single to right center. Standing on second base with two outs, Lopes was able to score the games' first run as Jonathan Rodriguez singled back up the middle for the RBI.
The score ballooned to 5-0 for the Wildcats in the third inning, as they put four runs on the board on six hits. With one out and the bases empty, Jordan Johnson, Frank Samluk, Josh Hampton, Kyle Lindstrom, Lopes, and Brandon Payne all hit consecutive singles, counting for all four runs in the inning.
Saint Rose scored in each of the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, getting to as close as 6-4 at the end of the sixth inning. The Golden Knights put one on the board in the fourth, two in the fifth and their final run in the bottom of the sixth. Racek relieved Hatt for the final batter in the sixth and although he gave up a single to center, Johnson gunned the runner down attempting to go first to third for the final out.
After extending the lead back out to three runs, Marics came on and recorded his third season of the year with a 1-2-3 inning, ending the game on his own with a play at first base.
After four innings of play in game two, the Wildcats had only recorded two hits but exploded for seven hits and eight runs in the final two innings to come back from a 2-0 hole.
With two outs and Johnson on first base, Hampton started the rally with a bloop single down the right field line, moving Johnson to third. A walk loaded the bases and Payne hit the first pitch he saw back up the middle, scoring two runs and tying the game at 2-2. It didn't take long for Sam Goines to get the runners moving again, taking a 1-0 pitch into right center, scoring Rodriguez for the go-ahead run.
The floodgates opened in the sixth inning as the Wildcats put the first two batters on base with a Brendan Fallers single and a fielding error on a sacrifice bunt by Johnson. With the bases loaded and already a run in, Payne again singled back up the middle for two more runs and the 6-2 lead. Goines connected for his third hit of the game, singling into center to score Payne from second base. Goines rounded out the scoring for the Wildcats by coming home on a wild pitch.
Fries stepped in for the seventh inning, working around a two out walk to end the inning and the game for the doubleheader sweep.
Goines and Payne each went 3-for-4 in game two, with Payne collecting four RBI's and scoring one run. Goinces knocked in two runs while scoring one himself. Payne added a 1-for-4 performance from the first game, knocking in a run to finish with five RBI's on the afternoon. Lopes and Rodriguez each finished 3-for-4 for the Wildcats in game one. Johnson, Hampton, Fallers added two hits apiece in the day's first game as well.
Shaffer worked out of a jam in the fifth inning, inducing a double play with two men on and no outs before finishing off the inning with a fly out for his lone inning of work. The offense gave Shaffer the win after putting three on the board, making it Shaffer's first win as a Wildcat.
Wilmington will head back to Lynn University in Boca Raton on Friday to play a doubleheader against two different teams. The Wildcats will play East Region opponent UMass-Lowell as well as host Lynn in a split doubleheader.
