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NEW CASTLE, Del. - - Three crooked innings carried the Wilmington University baseball team in its 2021 season, home, and Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference opener, 17-7, over USciences on Tuesday afternoon at Wilson Field.
In their first contest since March 11, 2020, the Wildcats (1-0) started slow with the first six batters being sent down in order. But in the third inning it all changed as the Wildcats put five on the board, added three more in the fourth, and put it out of reach with eight runs in the bottom of the fifth.
The Devils (0-1) got on the board first by capitalizing on a Wildcat mistake in the second inning. With two outs and running on first and second, the Devils' leadoff hitter Matt McClennen hit his second double of the afternoon, scoring the day's first run. It looked as though that would be all Wilmington starter Ryan Sandberg would give up, but a strikeout found its way to the backstop, bringing in a run and keeping the inning alive. Another RBI single and the Devils found themselves up 3-0 early on.
The offense got going in the third, as Matt Warrington led off the frame with a double that stayed inside the first base bag. Brett Brooks traded places with him with his own double, and then came home on a CJ Deery single. Now with the bases loaded, freshman Shawn Haut collected his first collegiate career hit and RBI with a bases clearing double down the left field line.
Sandberg settled in and went 1-2-3 in the top of the fourth to bring his offense back to the plate. Newcomer Dom Fiorentino picked up his first hit as a Wildcat with a two-run single. He would later score on a wild pitch to make it 8-3.
The Wildcats broke it open in the fifth.
Nic Hertzfeld doubled over the head of the left fielder to start the scoring before Brett Brooks knocked in two more with a single. Fiorentino kept it rolling with an infield RBI single to short before Quintin Ivy got on the board with a long single to the fence in the left center field gap, scoring two more. Killen then capped the rally with a single the other way, chasing Ivy home for the 16-3 lead.
Kyle Maxwell replaced Sandberg in the sixth and went the next three innings. The Devils put four on the board in the seventh, but that's all the closer they would get.
Rich Albrecht came in and shut the door the on the season opening win in the ninth.
Fiorentino, Deery, Killen, Warrington, and Brooks all finished with two hits while Fiorentino, Haut, and Brooks led with three RBI each.
Sandberg earned the win with five innings without an earned run, striking out three while allowing two walks. Maxwell struck out five with no walks while Albrecht added one strikeout.
The two teams will meet up once again to finish their three-game series on Sunday in Philadelphia. The first pitch of the 9/7 doubleheader is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
