NEW CASTLE, Del. - - The long ball allowed the Wilmington University baseball team to earn a split with Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference North Division leading Post on Saturday, dropping the first game, 6-4, before coming back to win the nightcap, 12-3, at Wilson Field.
GAME 1:
The Wildcats struck first with a two-run third inning, but then the Eagles scored in three straight innings to take over the opening game.
Nic Hertzfeld was a sparkplug all day for the Wildcats, starting the bottom of the third with a single. Now on third base with one out, Quintin Ivy hit a double down the right field line, in and out of the glove of the right fielder to put the Wildcats on the board, 1-0. John Mead followed with an RBI double of his own and the Wildcats led, 2-0.
But the Eagles answered back with two of their own in the top of the fourth. A one-out walk followed by back-to-back singles put the Eagles on the board and then a balk with a runner on third tied the game, 2-2.
The CACC leader in RBI put the Eagles ahead in the top of the fifth in a big way, hitting a three-run homer just to the right of the batter's eye in center. Post was able to add another run in the top of the sixth on an RBI double, making it 6-2 with only two at-bats left for the Wildcats.
Quintin Ivy walked to start the bottom of the sixth and John Mead welcomed the new reliever with a home run to right center to cut the deficit to 6-4. Shawn Haut restarted the inning with a single, but the next three Wildcats got out and they couldn't cut it any closer.
With two outs and the bases empty in the seventh, Jack McDonald singled into right to keep hope alive. Quintin Ivy then got everyone out of their seats with a blast to left, but he just got it off the end of the bat as the ball died at the warning track to end the game, 6-4.
John Mead went 2-for-3 with 3 RBI while Nic Hertzfeld with 3-for-4 with a run scored.
GAME 2:
The Wildcats took their frustrations out on the ball in game two, hitting three home runs and four extra base hits in a 12-3 victory.
The Eagles scored first in the top of the first inning, but the Wildcats answered right back. The Wildcats had runners on second and third with two outs and Shawn Haut laced a ball back up the middle that hit the field umpire, only allowing one run to score. Two batters later Erik Grady hit a hard grounder to short that hopped up and over the defender, scoring Ivy and Haut for the 3-1 lead.
Shawn Haut broke it open in the bottom of the second. The rally started with two outs and the bases empty as Jack McDonald placed a single into no man's land down the left field line. Quintin Ivy and John Mead walked to bring up Haut. Haut took a 3-2 pitch deep to left center for a grand slam and his fifth RBI of the game as the Wildcats took a 7-1 lead.
Erik Grady hit a leadoff triple off the wall in right and then scored on a balk in the top of the third, but then the Eagles tried to come back in the top of the fourth. The first three batters reached and scored a run and then the Eagles loaded the bases with two outs. A hit batter brought in the second run and then Matt Warrington stopped the bleeding by catching a low liner out to short.
JJ Killen got in on the fun in the fifth inning, hitting a line-drive laser to left for a three-run home run, giving the Wildcats an 11-3 lead.
John Mead then hit his fourth homer in the last six games, giving him nine on the year, in the sixth inning to cap the scoring, 12-3.
Matt Boyko went the first four innings to pick up the win, striking out six while improving to 4-0. Justin Brooks, Alex Hinton, and Dom Grady all pitched scoreless innings of relief to secure the win.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats turn right around and head to Philadelphia on Sunday to complete the CACC South Division series with Chestnut Hill. The first pitch of the doubleheader is set for 2:00 p.m.