NEW CASTLE, Del. - - - Late inning runs went for and against the Wilmington University baseball team in a doubleheader split with Indiana (Pa.) on Saturday afternoon at Wilson Field. The Crimson Hawks came back to win the opener, 10-6, before the Wildcats rallied in the nightcap, 6-5, for the split.
GAME 1:
A five-run top of the ninth saw Indiana (Pa.) (3-12) come back and defeat the Wildcats (8-7) in the opener.
The Wildcats jumped out to a 3-0 lead after their first two at-bats. Josearmando Diaz homered in back-to-back at-bats, hitting a grand slam on Friday and hitting a two-run shot in the bottom of the first. Brandon Grygo hit a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the second to give the Wildcats a 3-0 lead.
The Crimson Hawks answered in the top of the fourth with five runs, getting a sacrifice fly, a two-run double, and a two-run homer to take a 5-3 lead.
The Wildcats fired right back in the bottom of the fourth, taking the lead once again. A sacrifice fly scored the first run and then Brandon Grygo hit a two-out RBI double, and Kory Pritchard added an RBI single to give the Wildcats a 6-5 lead.
Scott Borgmann thew a scoreless sixth and Alex Krick tossed a scoreless seventh and eighth innings, but the Crimson Hawks made their comeback in the ninth. They loaded the bases with one out and a single started the scoring. Three straight walks to bring in run made it 9-6 before one final single plated a final run, 10-6.
Brandon Grygo batted 3-for-4 with two doubles, adding two RBI and two runs scored. Josearmando Diaz went 2-for-5 with a homer, 2 RBI. Garrett Quinn took the loss with four runs in the ninth.
GAME 2:
A three-run bottom of the sixth saw the Wildcats come back and earn the Saturday split, taking the three-game series, 2-1, with a 6-5 win.
Indiana (Pa.) scored first in the nightcap with a two-out double in the top of the first. AJ Tropiano gave the Wildcats the lead with a two-run homer to left in the bottom of the second. The Hawks tied the game with a run in the top of the fourth and then scored two more in the top of the fifth, taking a 4-2 lead.
Kyle Lowman started the bottom of the fifth with a leadoff homer and then struck again in the bottom of the sixth. With the bases loaded, Lowman singled into right to start the comeback rally. Justin Hernandez gave the Wildcats the lead with an RBI single, 5-4, before Brandon Grygo hit a sacrifice fly for an insurance run, 6-4.
The Crimson Hawks got a run back with a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh, but Brandon Grygo buckled down and got the third out to close out the game.
Kyle Lowman went 2-for-2 with two RBI while Justin Hernandez batted 2-for-3 with an RBI as well. Tyler Reinert went the first 4.2 innings before turning it over to Grygo for the final 2.1 innings.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats begin CACC play on Tuesday, welcoming Bridgeport to Wilson Field for a doubleheader. The first pitch of game one is set for 12:00 p.m.