The Wilmington University baseball team opened its 2015 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference schedule with a doubleheader sweep over Philadelphia, 4-2 and 9-1, on Sunday afternoon at Wilson Field.
The Wildcats (9-6, 2-0 CACC) were playing as the visitors on their home field as the games were originally scheduled to be played at Philadelphia (4-5, 1-2 CACC) on Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats have now won four straight and six of their last seven games overall.
The first game of the doubleheader was the opening round of the Bill Giles Invitational and the Wildcats will be heading back to Citizens Bank Park for the Bill Giles Invitational Championship on April 14 for the fifth season in a row. The Wildcats will play the winner of West Chester and USciences in the home of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Jamie Treml, the game one starter for the Wildcats, tossed six strong innings while picking up seven strikeouts and only allowing one run on one hit. He exited in line for the victory as the Wildcats led 2-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh.
The Rams came up with a two-out run to tie the game however, as Fernando Garza came home on a wild pitch.
But the Wildcats responded in the next half inning to regain the lead, receiving RBI singles from Mike Annone and Matt Lopes in the top of the eighth. Kyle Menchaca and Tyler Fries than came on and recorded back-to-back scoreless frames to give Wilmington the 4-2 victory in the opener.
Annone also accounted for the first two runs for the Wildcats, lacing a double off the fence in right to score a pair in the sixth. Monahan recorded the victory while Fries picked up his CACC leading fifth save of the season.
The Wildcats struck fast in the nightcap, scoring three in the top of the third before jumping out to a 6-0 lead after five full innings.
A Philadelphia throwing error extended the third inning for the Wildcats and Annone made the Rams pay, launching his second home run of the season, bringing in Sam Goines to make it 3-0.
The Wildcats added two more runs in the fifth, receiving doubles from Josh Swirchak and Frank Samluk before adding another run on an error for the 6-0 lead.
The Rams got on the board in the bottom of the sixth, but the Wildcats added insurance runs in the top of the seventh on an RBI single from Samluk and two more in the ninth on RBI's by Annone and Samluk.
Rob Gore went four innings for the Wildcats before turning it over to his bullpen. Tyler Newton earned his first victory of the season by pitching a scoreless, 10-pitch fifth inning. Zach Rumford was touched for the lone run of the game while Mike Torres, Ryan Douglas, and Matt Frost tossed scoreless innings, each with a strikeout.
Annone finished 4-for-8 on the day with two doubles, a home run, six RBI, and three runs scored on the day. Jon Castro batted 3-for-4 with a run in the first game while Goines and Samluk finished with three hits each on the afternoon.
Monday's contest against West Chester has been postponed so the Golden Rams can make up conference games in the PSAC so the Wildcats return to action on Tuesday against Caldwell. The Wildcats and Cougar open the CACC doubleheader at Wilson Field at 12 p.m.
