NEW CASTLE, Del. - - A pair of complete games carried the Wilmington University softball team to a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference sweep over Georgian Court, 3-0 and 6-2, on Wednesday afternoon at Asbury Field.
The two wins were the first CACC sweep for the Wildcats (16-13, 4-6 CACC) on the season, as they road the strong arms of Caitlyn Whiteside and Danielle Bradley in the circle. The bats also came alive for the Wildcats, as they picked up 17 hits combined in the doubleheader.
The Wildcats scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning and that was all Whiteside needed. Rosa'Lynn Burton started the inning with a bunt single before Jazmeen Llamas put runners on first and second with another infield single. Whitney DeMora followed suit with a third straight single for the Wildcats, bringing in Burton from second.
Colby Wyatt made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly to center before Meghan Brown added an insurance run with an RBI bunt single.
That was all Whiteside needed, as she only allowed four hits and one walk for her seventh complete game shutout of the season. The Lions (6-20, 5-7 CACC) left four batters on base, but Whiteside was able spread the runners out over four separate innings. Whiteside struck out four batters to improve to 9-5 on the season.
The nightcap was the Bradley show, as she went the distance while only allowing two runs on six hits and two walks. She struck out seven Lion batters to improve to 6-5 on the season.
The bats once again struck early for the Wildcats, as they scored two in the first and tacked on three more in the bottom of the second inning.
After the Lions struck first with a two-out RBI double in the top of the first, the Wildcats answered in the home half of the inning. Bradley did it at the plate as well, starting the inning off with a leadoff single. An error put runners on first and second before another error with DeMora batting brought in the Wildcats' first run. Wyatt then hit a sacrifice fly to center to put the Wildcats ahead for good, 2-1.
Bradley set the Lions down in order in the second to quickly bring the bats back to the plate. Another Lion error started the inning before Becca Stanley and Alyssa Velasquez loaded the bases with back-t0-back singles. Lexi Baughman gave the Wildcats a 4-1 lead with a two-run single before Bradley was at it again with an RBI single and the 5-1 lead.
Stanley gave the Wildcats another insurance run in the bottom of the fifth, hitting a two-out RBI single through the left side to bring in Wyatt.
The Lions threatened in the sixth, putting runners on first and second with one out. But Bradley got out of the jam with a line drive double play, escaping the inning. She then worked around a leadoff walk in the seventh to close the door on the sweep.
Burton, Bradley, and Brown all collected two hits in the opener while Bradley and Stanley added two hits each in the nightcap.
The Wildcats will look to keep the ball rolling on Thursday as they head to Concordia for another CACC doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.