SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - - The Wilmington University baseball team came back from a three-run deficit early to take a 7-6 nonconference victory at Shippensburg on Wednesday in their first game in the Northeast in the 2020 season.
Down 5-2 after the second inning, Dan Hyatt hit a three-run homer in the fourth, JJ Killen hit a game-tying RBI single in the seventh and Brooks Ryan gave the Wildcats (4-9) a 7-6 lead with an RBI double in the ninth. Alex Hinton pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth innings, picking up his first collegiate victory.
The Wildcats got on the board first in the game, scoring two runs with two outs in the top of the second. Brooks Ryan legged out an infield single to start a two-out rally. It looked as though the Raiders got out of the inning with a strikeout, CJ Wilkerson reached first as the ball got by the catcher. Steve Cornog worked a six-pitch walk and then Brett Nowell brought two in with a single to right center.
The Raiders answered in the home half of the second though, hitting four extra-base knocks and scoring five runs on five hits.
Shippensburg should have been out of the top of the fourth inning, committing a one-out error that eventually allowed Dan Hyatt to bat. Hyatt came up with two on and hit a 2-1 pitch out to right to tie the game, 5-5. But again, the Raiders had an immediate answer in the bottom of the fourth, getting an unearned to go for them as well. They reached on a strikeout, passed ball again, and had runners on first and third on an error. A double scored one run, but then Matt Warrington got out of the jam with a fly out and a strikeout.
With two outs in the top of the seventh, Brooks Ryan extended the inning with a single and then freshman JJ Killen knocked in Derek Donastorg with an RBI single to right to tie the game, 7-7.
Justin Brooks pitched a perfect seventh inning before Alex Hinton came in and pitched a scoreless eighth. Eddie Nevins hit a one out single to start the top of the ninth. Now with two outs, Brooks Ryan doubled to center, chasing Nevins all the way home for the go-ahead run, 7-6.
Hinton went back out for the ninth, getting two quick outs on back-to-back grounders. An error extended the inning, but Hinton induced a grounder to second for the final out, earning his first collegiate win.
Brooks Ryan led the offense with four hits and the game-winning RBI. Six other Wildcats had one hit.
Warrington started and went six innings, striking out seven while allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits and four walks.
The Wildcats make their 2020 home debut this weekend as they host Le Moyne and Bridgeport in a round-robin. They face Le Moyne on Friday at 3:00 p.m. at Wilson Field.