WATERBURY, Conn. - - Six runs in their final two at-bats allowed the Wilmington University softball team to come back and defeat Post, 7-6, in the nightcap, earning the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference sweep on Saturday afternoon at LaMoy Field.
The Wildcats (18-13, 6-6 CACC) jumped all over the Eagles (7-16, 3-8 CACC) in the opener, collecting 11 hits en route to a 10-0 victory in five innings. Trailing 6-1 after five innings in the nightcap, the Wildcats scored three runs in the six and three more in the seventh to come back and earn the CACC sweep, 7-6.
Freshman leadoff batter Rosa'Lynn Burton was the catalyst all afternoon for the Wildcats, going 4-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored in the opener. She tripled to leadoff the game before coming home to score on a Danielle Bradley single. She again singled to leadoff the third, eventually scoring on a Bradley RBI groundout. An error brought in another Wildcat run before Meghan Brown gave the Wildcats a 4-0 lead with a RBI double.
Burton than got into the RBI game as well, hitting an RBI double for the first run of the fourth. She would eventually come around to score on another Bradley base hit before Colby Wyatt capped the scoring in the fourth with an infield single, putting the Wildcats up, 8-0. Burton than capped the scoring in the top of the fifth inning as well, bringing in two on an RBI single to center for the 10- lead.
That was more than enough for starter Caitlyn Whiteside, as she went the distance for her eighth complete game shutout of the season. She struck out two while only allowing five hits, leaving seven runners on base throughout the game.
The Eagles jumped out to an early lead in the nightcap, getting to Bradley with two runs in the first and two more in the second. A two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth gave the Eagles a 6-1 lead with only two innings left.
Burton and Jazmeen Llamas got on to start the sixth before Bradley moved them into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Wyatt smacked a two-run double to right center to get the ball rolling. Whiteside followed up with a two-out single to left field, bringing the Wildcats to within 6-4.
Whiteside returned to the circle and shut down the Eagles in the bottom of the sixth and the Wildcats got back to the plate. Keara McCarthy started the rally with a one-out single before a fielder's choice and a Llamas singled to load the bases. Now with two outs, Wyatt worked a walk to get to within a single run before Brown singled to shortstop to tie the game, 6-6. Whiteside came up clutch again but working another bases loaded walk, putting the Wildcats ahead, 7-6.
The Eagles put the tying run on second with no outs before a sacrifice fly put the runner on third with one out. Whiteside picked up a big strikeouts before inducing a game ending fly ball to left.
Whiteside came on in relief to pitch the final 5.1 innings of the nightcap, striking out three while allowing two runs on three hits. Burton went 2-for-4 with three runs in the nightcap while Llamas went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Wyatt finished 1-for-1 with four RBI in game two.
The Wildcats look to extending their winning streak to five straight on Sunday with a rescheduled doubleheader against Concordia. The Clippers will be the home team while playing at Asbury Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.