CLERMONT, Fla. - - Senior right-hander Katie Warrington didn't even need an inning to get back to her usual self inside the circle as she helped lead the Wilmington University softball team to a doubleheader split against Davenport, 0-6 and 4-1, in the Wildcats' 2013 debut at the National Training Center.
After a slow start in game one where the Wildcats (1-1 overall) could only collect three hits, the bats came alive with 12 hits in game two, helping Warrington to an early lead in which she took care of the rest to pick up the team's first win of 2013.
Davenport (3-3-1), an NAIA program, had a few games prior to Monday to work out the kinks of the early season enabling them to put 11 hits on the board and three multiple run innings to secure the victory in the first contest of the day.
The Panthers' Sam Cole threw the first six innings of game one, striking out five batters on her way to her third win of the season. The Wildcats' Chelsea Botsch tossed all seven innings in the 2013 season opener, striking out a pair of batters in the loss and hanging tough after giving up two runs in the second inning.
The Wildcats received solo hits from seniors Shelby Thompson and Brooke Berger while freshman Brook Ash collected the team's third hit of the game.
The second game was different story for the lineup, as the Wildcats equaled their hit total from the first game by the third inning, smashing out 11 in all for the game.
After a quiet first two innings which only produced a two out double from Jillian Stafford, the Wildcats came alive in the third inning to take an early lead. Freshman Rice Fazio doubled to right field for her first hit of her career.
Redshirt freshman Cambria Ziemba put runners on first and third with a single back up the middle, also picking up her first hit of her career. The speedy Thompson reached base on an error by the third baseman, knocking in the team's first run of the season. Ash then flied out to right field, but deep enough to allow Ziemba to score from third for the sacrifice fly. Christin Headley nearly made it 3-0 as she chopped one to short, but Thompson was cut down at home for the second out of the inning.
Warrington got out of mini jams in the bottom of the third and fourth innings, picking up three more strikeouts along the way, without allowing a run to keep the score at 2-0 in favor of the Wildcats heading into the fifth inning.
Headley started the rally with a one out single through the left side before newcomer Skye Boris put runners on first and second with her second hit of the game. Now with runners at second and third and two outs, Stafford smacked a double to centerfield, bringing in both runs for the 4-0 lead.
The only blip on the box score for Warrington came in the sixth inning as the Panthers' Ashleigh Blovsky hit a one out home run for her fourth round tripper of the season. Warrington came back and got two of the next three hitters out to escape without any real harm.
Warrington came back in the seventh used the arm of Boris behind the plate to catch a runner attempting to steal third for the second out of the inning, and then struck out her 12th batter of the game to end the contest and picking up the team's first win of the year.
The senior walked two and struck out 12 batters, allowing seven hits but only giving up the one run. Davenports' Kyleigh Linebaugh falls to 0-2 on the year after tossing a complete game, picking up six strikeouts along the way.
The win was also first year head coach Lauren Rizzo's first collegiate victory, as she took over the team this past summer after being the team's assistant last year.
