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Press Release Written by Sports Information Graduate Intern MaryKate Rumbaugh
NEW CASTLE, Del. - - The Wilmington University softball team kept its winning streak alive with a pair of one-run victories over Shippensburg, 5-4 and 3-2, on Wednesday, using its last at-bat in each game to win in the 2019 home opener at Asbury Field.
Game One:
The Wildcats saw themselves out to a 4-0 lead entering the top of the sixth inning, but the Raiders were only getting started in the top of the seventh, when they scored four runs to tie the game up.
WilmU got out to an early 1-0 lead thanks to a sac fly to right field from Lauren Lopez to score Rosa'Lynn Burton from third in the bottom of the first inning.
Annie Davila would hit her second homerun of the season in the bottom of the fourth with a solo shot to center field to make it a 2-0 ball game in favor of the Wildcats. The next inning, Burton started off the inning with a double down the left field line, before Kiana Broderson-Jones hit a bunt single to third as an error scored Burton on the play. Alyssa Velasquez was able to get the sacrifice bunt down to advance Broderson-Jones over to third for Lopez to then lay another sacrifice bunt down to score Kiana Broderson-Jones and give the Wildcats a 4-0 lead heading into the top of the sixth.
Senior pitcher, Caitlyn Whiteside was lights out for the Wildcats as she had a no-hitter going until the top of the seventh inning, when the Raiders found some momentum. With two outs, Shippensburg had two runners on, before a single to center would give them their first run of the game. The next two batters would then hit a triple and reach on a fielding error to tie the game up at 4-4.
Wilmington would have their chance in the bottom of the seventh with the top of the lineup coming up. Rosa'Lynn Burton would start the inning off with a bunt single to the pitcher and was standing on second after a stolen base. Kiana Broderson-Jones would hit a single to center, before Alyssa Velasquez was walked to load the bases. Lauren Lopez was the next batter for the Wildcats, who singled to right field to score Burton and give the Wildcats the 5-4 victory in game one.
Burton, Broderson-Jones, and Annie Davila all had two hits for the Wildcats, while Lopez recorded three RBI. Caitlyn Whiteside went 7.0 innings, allowing five hits and four runs with one strikeout for the Wildcats to improve her record to 5-2 on the season.
Game Two:
Despite the Raiders seven hits to the Wildcats' four, WilmU pulled out the one-run victory again to sweep Shippensburg.
Shippensburg started the first three innings with at least one runner in scoring position, but the Wildcats were able to hold off Raiders. Wilmington scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth thanks to the speed of Rosa'Lynn Burton an a fielding error by the Raiders second baseman, which scored Lexi Baughman. The Wildcats would have runners in scoring position, but end the inning with just one run.
Shippensburg responded to the Wildcat's run in the top of the sixth with a two out double to center field, which tied the game up at one. The next batter than singled to shortstop for the runner at third to score and give the Raiders the first lead of the day, 2-1.
Senior catcher Annie Davila came in to pinch hit in the bottom of the sixth inning with one out and a batter on. Davila would go yard for the second time today with a two-run shot to right center, to give the Wildcats back the lead, 3-2, heading into the final inning.
Annie Davila had one hit and two RBI for the Wildcats, as Lexi Baughman, Kiana Broderson-Jones, and Makayla McCarthy all had a hit for the Wildcats. McCarthy pitched 7.0 innings, allowing seven hits and two runs with six strikeouts to improve her record to 4-3 on the year.
Next Up:
The Wildcats are back at Asbury Field on Sunday when they take on Pace in a double-header. Game one is slated for 1:00 p.m.
