MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - - Two more victories on Sunday capped the 2018 season opening tournament for the Wilmington University softball team, as they defeated Lock Haven, 7-3, and East Stroudsburg, 11-8, to go 4-2 at the Snowbird Softball Freeze Out in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The offense came to life on the final day of the opening weekend, as the Wildcats (4-2) pounded out 12 hits against Lock Haven (1-4) and then 14 more against East Stroudsburg (1-5).
The Wildcats needed to come from behind against the Bald Eagles in the first game on Sunday, as a two-run homer put Lock Haven in front. The Wildcats quickly tied the game in the top of the second, as Lexi Baughman brought in Makayla McCarthy and Mirabella Klebart with a two-run single.
With the game tied, 2-2, in the fourth inning, the Wildcats took the lead for good. With the bases loaded and two outs, Lauren Lopez cleared them all with a three-run double to right field for the 5-2 lead.
Lock Haven closed the gap to 5-3 in the fifth, but the Wildcats added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh. With the bases loaded and no outs in the inning, Annie Davila singled into left field, chasing Keara McCarthy and Klebart home for the 7-3 lead.
Makayla McCarthy closed out her complete game in the seventh for her second win of the year. She struck out six batters while allowing three runs. She also led the team at the play, going 3-for-4 with a run scored in the win. Lopez, Klebart, and Davila each finished with two hits as well.
In the final game of the weekend, the bats remained hot as they jumped out early against East Stroudsburg. Lopez was at it again in the first inning, bringing in Rosa'Lynn Burton and Kiana Broderson-Jones who started the inning with back-to-back singles, with a two run single of her own. An error later in the inning brought in Lopez for an early 3-0 lead.
The Warriors answered with a four-run top of the second, but the Wildcats had a response in the home half as well. Burton doubled to center field, and an error allowed Alyssa Velasquez to come all the way around from first. Broderson-Jones grounded out to second to easily score Burton to regain a 5-4 lead.
East Stroudsburg again battled back to tie the game with a run in the fourth, but a four-run fifth inning for the Wildcats put the game out of reach for the Warriors. Jordan Virden hit a sacrifice fly for the first run before Velasquez had an RBI groundout for the 7-5 lead. Burton followed with an RBI single before Broderson-Jones knocked her in from second with another RBI single and the 9-5 advantage.
The Warriors wouldn't go away, however, closing to within 9-8 with three runs in the top of the sixth. But Klebart gave the Wildcats a cushion in the home half of the sixth, blasting a two-run homer with no outs in the inning, giving the Wildcats an 11-8 lead.
Makayla McCarthy came on in the seventh and shut the door, only allowing a two-out double before picking up her first save of her collegiate career. Baughman collected her first collegiate win in the circle for the Wildcats, pitching the middle innings while allowing four runs on seven hits.
Burton, Broderson-Jones, and Keara McCarthy led the offense with three hits a piece, with Burton and Broderson-Jones collecting two RBI each. Klebart went 2-for-4 with a team high three RBI while Lopez was the final Wildcat with multiple hits and two RBI in the game.
The Wildcats return north for two weeks before they play again on March 5. They will travel to Clermont, Florida to take part in their annual Spring Break Trip to the National Training Center. Their week begins with Grand Valley State and Southern Indiana on Monday, March 5.