CLERMONT, Fla. - - Jillian Stafford's two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the seventh gave the Wilmington University softball team the game one win, 5-4, over American International and the Wildcats swept a doubleheader with a 5-3 win over Mercy College in game two on the final day of the team's two-week trip to the National Training Center in Florida.
With the two wins, the Wildcats improve to 8-15 and has won four straight games to end the trip.
Heading into the bottom of the sixth, the Wildcats found themselves down 4-2 and scored a single run in the sixth and two in the seventh to finish the come from behind victory.
Stafford was the catalyst in each inning, starting the sixth and finishing it off in the seventh. Stafford doubled to lead off the sixth inning, and eventually came around to score on an Amanda Crockett doubles two batters later to make it 4-3.
With two outs and Brooke Berger on first after a walk, Kinsley Parker kept the Wildcats alive with a single, putting the winning run on base. Stafford delivered once again, smashing a double allowing Parker to race home with the winning run from first.
Stafford finished 2-for-4 in the game, while Chrisin Headley also collected two hits, including a triple. Shelby Thompson, Parker, Kristin Garvin and Crockett each added a hit for the Wildcats.
Katie Warrington picked up the win for Wilmington, pitching all seven innings while striking out nine Yellow Jackets. She gave up four runs (three earned) on nine hits to improve to 4-6.
The Wildcats carried the momentum from game one into game two, scoring all five runs in the first two innings against Mercy. The Wildcats exploded for four runs in the first, added a run in the second and rode the arm of Danielle Griffin for six innings to finish off the sweep.
The Wildcats loaded the bases in the top of the first with one out to set up the four run inning. Stafford reached on an error by the shortstop, allowing Thompson and Brooke Berger to score for the games' first runs. Garvin then reached on another error by the shortstop as Stafford and Parker came around to score two more unearned runs and take a 4-0 lead.
Parker added to the lead in the second inning with a run scoring single with two outs. With Thompson on second after reaching on a fielders' choice and Berger on first following a walk, Parker singled home Thompson to make it 5-1 and grabbing control of game two.
The Mavericks tallied two runs in the sixth, but Griffin controlled the game before handing the ball over to Warrington in the seventh for the save. Griffin gave up three runs (one earned) on five hits to improve to 3-3 on the year. Warrington pitched a scoreless seventh with two strikeouts for her second save of the year.
Thompson, Berger, Headley, Parker and Meghan Logullo all collected a hit against Mercy, all off Maverick starter Bryanna Kopczynski.
Wilmington completed its nonconference schedule and will return north to start its Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference portion of the schedule against Goldey-Beacom on March 20.
