CLERMONT, Fla. - - Katie Warrington struck out 15 batters to lead the Wilmington University softball team to Monday's split, rebounding from a 5-2 loss to Dowling to take a 4-0 victory against Saint Anselm at the National Training Center to start the team's second week of their Florida trip.
The split was the second in as many playing days for the Wildcats (8-4) as they have come back from losing the first of two games on both Saturday and Monday. The offense came to play on Monday, banging around seven hits in the first games against Dowling (2-1) and 10 more against Saint Anselm (0-2).
In the first game, the team was hurt by four errors in the field, leading to two unearned runs after taking a 2-0 lead. The Wildcats took the lead in the top of the first inning using the wheels of Shelby Thompson and the bat of Brooke Berger. Thompson walked to lead off the game, stole second and promptly came around to score on a double from Berger.
Wilmington made it 2-0 in the top of the second inning on the long ball as Rachel Painter sent her first of the season over the wall in center field, ending starting pitcher Erika Nogan's day in the circle. Kaitlin Ellingsworth came on for the Golden Lions and shut down the Wildcats for the next six innings, only allowing three hits for the rest of the game.
Dowling scored four runs in the second inning, which would prove to be enough for the win. Victoria Gallagher provided the big hit of the inner, a two run single that gave the Lions the lead at 4-2.
The second game was all Warrington as the offense gave her a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second the senior took it from there. She struck out the side in the second and third innings, not giving the Hawks any shot at a bounce back inning.
After leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the first, the Wildcats struck with a pair in the second. Freshmen Rice Fazio and Cambria Ziemba got things started with back-to-back one out singles before Thompson loaded the bases with another single. Fellow freshman Brook Ash got the scoring started with a single into left field, scoring Fazio. Berger capped the scoring in the next at-bat, working a bases loaded walk for the 2-0 lead.
Warrington's only blemish on the afternoon came in the fourth inning as she allowed a leadoff single into center field. She then struck out two more batters and induced a ground out to strand the runner at second for the inning.
The Wildcats tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning, knocking out three hits in the inning. With runners at first and third and two outs, Jillian Stafford doubled to center field, scoring both Thompson and Berger on the play for the 4-0 lead.
Once again, Warrington followed with a shutdown inning, striking out the side to capitalize on the two additional runs and not allow the Hawks back into the game.
Warrington is now 5-0 in her five starts this season, striking out 68 batters in 33 innings of work. She carries a 0.42 earned run average on the season and is 17 strikeouts away from becoming only the second Wildcat to reach the 500 strikeout mark in their career.
Wilmington is back to action on Tuesday, first playing against Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference foe University of the Sciences in a non-conference matchup at 1:00 p.m., followed by the first of two games this week against Gannon at 3:00 p.m.
