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Wilmington Baseball Needs Pair of Comebacks to Defeat Dominican, 6-3 and 9-2, to Remain Unbeaten in CACC

Wilmington Baseball Needs Pair of Comebacks to Defeat Dominican, 6-3 and 9-2, to Remain Unbeaten in CACC

The Wilmington University baseball team needed to score late runs in each game to sweep Dominican and remain unbeaten in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference on Friday, winning 6-3 in 10 innings and 9-2, at Provident Bank Park.

Christian Adorno hit a two-run double in the top of the 10th in game one before the Wildcats (22-7, 12-0 CACC) scored eight runs over the final two innings in game two to erase a 2-1 deficit to sweep the Chargers (7-13, 4-4 CACC).

Game one starter Frank Samluk struck out seven but the Chargers scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game 3-3. After Tyler Fries struck out a batter with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, the Wildcats took advantage in the 10th.

Josh Swirchak started the rally with a one-out walk before Sam Goines singled through the left side. Matt Lopes loaded the bases with a single to right and Adorno took a 1-0 pitch to the gap in right center, scoring a pair to give the Wildcats the lead. Sean Feeney finished the scoring for the Wildcats with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Lopes from third.

Fries went back out for the bottom of the 10th inning and ran into trouble once again. The Chargers put runners on second and third with an error and a double, but the senior reliever buckled down and got a strikeout for the second out and induced a fly ball for the final out of the game.

Adorno put the Wildcats on the board in the top of the second inning as well, singling into right center to score both Lopes and Goines for the early 2-0 lead. Lopes blasted his fourth home run of the season to lead off the fourth, keeping the ball inside the foul pole down the line for the 3-0 lead.

Fries improved to 2-0 on the year with the two-inning win, striking out two while allowing two hits and two walks. Samluk gave up three runs on 11 hits in seven innings in the no decision.

Dominican jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning of game two, using a pair of Wildcat errors to jump in front. Game two starter Jake Wersinger induced a 4-6-3 double play to get out of the jam, leaving two runners on.

The Wildcats cut the deficit in half in the fifth as Samluk singled through the left side to score Kyle Fries from second who previously walked. The score remained 2-1 through seven full innings.

Swirchak doubled to center, scoring Brendan Fallers to tie the game before Goines added another double to center in the next at-bat to give the Wildcats the 3-2 lead. Adorno added another RBI to his day, grounding one to third to score Goines for the 4-2 lead.

After Rob Gore set the Chargers down in the eighth, leaving a runner on first, the Wildcats tacked on five runs on four hits in the ninth to put the game away. Kyle Fries started the rally with a triple before Tory Manfre hit an RBI single. Swirchak walked with the bases loaded to force in a run before Goines singled in two more to really break it open. Adorno finished off the scoring with a sacrifice fly to left, bringing the score to 9-2.

Zach Rumford replaced Gore in the bottom of the ninth, picking up a pair of strikeouts before inducing a ground out to give the Wildcats the sweep.

Gore picked up the win in his scoreless inning of relief, improving to 1-2 on the season. Wersinger went seven innings in the start, striking out four while allowing two runs (both unearned) and eight hits in seven innings.

Adorno batted 3-for-5 with four RBI in game one before capping his day with a 2-for-3 performance in game two, knocking in one more. Lopes also collected three hits in game one while going 1-for-4 in game two. Swirchak and Goines added two hits a piece in each game on Thursday.

The Wildcats put their undefeated conference record on the line again on Saturday, as they host Bloomfield at Wilson Field for Senior Day. The first pitch of the doubleheader is set for 12 p.m.