NORTH WALES, Pa. - - Heading into the final week of the regular season, the Wilmington University baseball team picked up two more wins by sweeping Chestnut Hill, 7-3 and 2-1, on Sunday at Hostelley Field.
Sunday's sweep ensured the three-game series sweep for the Wildcats over the Griffins. With the two wins, the Wildcats are 24-8 overall and remain two games ahead of Goldey-Beacom in first place in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference South Division.
GAME 1:
Tied 3-3 after six full innings, the Wildcats scored single runs in the top of the seventh and eighth innings and then put the game away with a two-run ninth for the 7-3 win.
Matt Warrington started the scoring in the top of the third launching his first home run of the season to center for the 1-0 lead. Quintin Ivy scored on a wild pitch in the top of the fourth and then Shawn Edevane hit a ground ball with the infield back to plate John Mead for the 3-0 lead.
The Griffins loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth and scored on a fielder's choice and a wild pitch, getting back to within 3-2. The home team ended up tying the game in the sixth innings, starting the inning with a triple and a double to knot the score, 3-3.
JJ Killen kept the seventh inning alive with a two-out infield single, putting runners on first and second. Matt Warrington then hit one to third that got through, scoring Erik Grady on the error for a 4-3 lead.
Starter Kyle Maxwell had a shutdown inning in the bottom of the seventh, getting a pair of grounders and a pop up to end his outing. He would improve to 4-2 with the win.
Quintin Ivy hit a double in the eighth and then was standing on third after a stolen base. John Mead gave the Wildcats an insurance run with a sacrifice fly, 5-3. Adrian Jimenez hit an RBI single in the top of the ninth and another error allowed the Wildcats to score again, making it a 7-3 game going into the bottom of the ninth.
Alex Krick left two on in the bottom of the eighth and then induced a game-ending double play in the ninth for his third save of the year.
Quintin Ivy went 3-for-4 with two runs scored while Erik Grady went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
GAME 2:
Neither offense could get anything going in game two as Scott Borgmann and the Griffins' Thomas Hughes were getting outs.
Hughes was perfect the first time through the lineup before Nic Hertzfeld led off the fourth inning with a double. But he was left stranded at second as the inning came to an end. Borgmann worked out of a two-on, no-out jam in the second and then left single runners on in the third and fourth innings.
An obstruction call at third base as the throw got past the Wildcat brought in the game's first run in the bottom of the sixth. But Lance Hinton came on and induced a groundball with the infield in and then a comebacker to the mound to leave two runners on and give the Wildcats a chance.
Quintin Ivy started the top of the seventh with a walk and stole second to get into scoring position. Shawn Haut quickly tied the game with an RBI single to left and then got to third base on a nice hustle play on an infield single by CJ Deery. Now with the bases loaded, Matt Warrington worked a two-out walk to bring in the eventual game-winning run.
Rich Albrecht came on in the bottom of the seventh and pitched a 1-2-3 inning for his first save of the year.
Nic Hertzfeld with 2-for-4 from atop the lineup and Lance Hinton picked up his first win of the year.
UP NEXT:
The final week of the CACC season begins with a short trip across town to play Goldey-Beacom on Wednesday. The first pitch is set for 2:00 p.m.