LAKEWOOD, N.J. - - The Wilmington University softball team defeated sixth seeded Holy Family, 10-2, in the opening round of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, but dropped to the elimination round after a tough 1-0 defeat to the hand of second seeded Caldwell in the night cap on Thursday at Georgian Court.
Christin Headley smashed the third seeded Wildcats (33-19 overall) into the winner's bracket with a pair of home runs and a 3-for-4 performance in the first round, the second coming in a walk-off fashion, kicking the mercy rule into effect in the bottom of the sixth. But the Wildcats couldn't come up with the big hit in the winner's bracket game, leaving six runners on base against Caldwell, as both team collected four hits each.
The scoring started in the third inning after starter Katie Warrington went nine up and nine down against the Tigers. With two outs and the bases empty, Cambria Ziemba secured the first hit of the game with a single into right field. Brook Ash took the next pitch to the wall in left field for a triple, forcing Ziemba home for the first run. Headley followed with a long home run to right center on the first pitch of her at-bat to give the Wildcats the 3-0 lead. Jillian Stafford started a new rally with a single into left, moving to second as Skye Boris walked. Brooke Berger hit a line shot that bounced off the third base bag and into left field, scoring Stafford from second, extending the lead to 4-0.
Warrington gave up a two out single in the top of the fourth, ending a streak of 12 straight innings of hitless softball, dating back to the sixth inning of game two against Georgian Court on April 26.
Seven hits in the fifth inning led to five runs, as Stafford, Boris, and Rachel Painter collected RBI's and Ziemba hit a two run single into left center to cap the scoring. Warrington needed to work out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the sixth but induced a fly out and a grounder back to the circle to get out of the inning unscathed.
The escape allowed the Wildcats to lead 9-2 going into the bottom of the sixth, where Headley sent a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left to lead off the inning, bringing the mercy rule into effect. The homers were the fourth and fifth of her season.
Ziemba and Headley each went 3-for-4 while Headley scored three times and knocked in three more. Ash, Stafford, and Berger each went 2-for-3 in the day's first game, each collecting an RBI as well. Warrington struck out nine in the win.
Facing second seeded Caldwell in the winner's bracket after the Cougars defeated Bloomfield in the first round, Warrington stepped back into the circle to try and give the Wildcats a 2-0 start in the CACC Tournament.
The game started off slowly for the senior, as she gave up a leadoff single in the bottom of the first, and a one out single into left center to give Caldwell the 1-0 lead.
Warrington settled into her second game of the day nicely however, setting the Cougars down in order in each of the next three innings to give the Wildcats offense a chance.
A two-out rally in the third fell short, as Ash and Headley singled to put two runners on before the Cougars were able to get out of the jam unscathed.
Chelsea Botsch came on for Warrington with one out in the fifth inning, giving up a double but recording an inning ending strikeout to keep the game knotted at 1-0.
Again the Wildcats put a pair of runners on base in the sixth inning, this time to start off the frame. Ash and Headley again hit back-to-back singles to put the tying run in scoring position, but the Wildcat's failed to advance the runners any further in the inning, allowing Caldwell to escape with the 1-0 lead.
Botsch again shut the Cougars down in the sixth inning to give Wilmington a chance, but Caldwell starter Amber Padilla was up to the task once again, shutting the Wildcats down in order in the seventh to earn the victory.
Ash and Headley collected the teams' four hits in the second game, while Headley reached base all three times by adding a walk. Stafford and Berger also walked in the game, giving the Wildcats more base runners than the Cougars through the seven innings.
Warrington was saddled with the loss in game two, going 4.1 innings while striking out five batters. Botsch struck out two batters in 1.2 innings of relief to close out the contest.
The loss sends the Wildcats to the elimination round on Friday, as they next square off against No. 5 USciences at 11 a.m. The Devils lost to No. 4 Georgian Court in the first round before coming back and defeating No. 8 Philadelphia to advance to Friday.
For a full recap of Thursday's action visit the CACC Tournament Championship central page at http://www.caccathletics.org/sports/sball/2012-13/tournamentcentral.
