NEW CASTLE, Del. - - Sara Miller lifted the Wilmington University softball team past Goldey-Beacom, 5-3, in game one and then Renamarie Rocha helped push the Wildcats past the Lightning in game two, 3-2, in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference sweep on Thursday at Asbury Field.
It was the Sara Miller show in game one, contributing all five RBI in the 5-3 victory for the Wildcats. Renamarie Rocha came on in relief in game two and held the Lightning down for the final three innings as the Wildcats pulled out the 3-2 win for the sweep. The Wildcats are now 23-9 overall and remain in first with a 13-1 CACC mark.
GAME 1:
Sara Miller's first two at-bats proved to be enough for the Wildcats in the opener, as she hit a rise ball at the belt up and over the wall in left for her fourth homer of the season. She plated Lexi Moore who singled earlier, giving the Wildcats a 2-0 lead.
Brooke Koehler struck out two in the second and two more in the third, getting the top of the of the lineup back up in the bottom of the third. With two outs and the bases empty, Lexi Moore and Jess Reed bunted their way on. Sara Miller then laced a double to the gap in left center, making it 4-0 Wilmington.
Goldey-Beacom loaded the bases in the fourth, but Koehler induced a foul out to Tristyn Stewart to escape the jam. She didn't allow the first hit until the fifth inning, but it was a single to start the inning. The Lightning would go on to score three runs in the frame, getting back into the contest, 4-3.
Tristyn Stewart, Taylor Gillis, and Lexi Moore all bunted their way on to start the fifth inning, but the Wildcats could only score one in the inning, and it was off the bat of Sara Miller, a sacrifice fly to center for her fifth RBI of the game.
Brooke Koehler came back into the game in the top of the sixth and only allowed a one out single in the seventh before closing out the victory.
Miller finished 2-for-2 with five RBI while Lexi Moore went 3-for-3 and Taylor Gillis went 2-for-3. Brooke Koehler improved to 2-2 on the season.
GAME 2:
Game two featured two of the top three pitchers according to ERA in the Wildcats' Kylee Gunkel and the Lightning's Alesia Doctor and both cruised through the first two innings.
Speed helped the Wildcats in the bottom of the third, as Gillis singled, and Moore bunted one in front of the plate. She was going to beat the throw regardless, but the throw sailed down the line, allowing Gillis to come all the way around to score. Tristyn Stewart than grounded out to second to plate Moore for the 2-0 lead.
But that lead would be erased in the top of the fourth as Autumn Simpson got into one. She homered to left to tie the score 2-2.
Emma Zimmerman was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the fourth and pinch runner Bella Eleazar was standing on third with two outs. With the infield pulled in, Taylor Gillis grounded on to second as the fielder made the diving stop to her left, but couldn't get the ball to first in time as Gillis beat out the play, scoring Eleazar for the 3-2 lead.
Renamarie Rocha, who came in during the fourth inning, pitched a 1-2-3 fifth, got a line-drive double play to end the sixth, and Gillis made an extraordinary play in right center, diving for a catch and throwing it to first for another double play. Then Rocha finished off the game with a bare-handed grab on a chopper and throwing out the runner at first for the sweep.
Taylor Gillis went 2-for-4 while Lexi Moore went 2-for-3. Rocha improved 3-0 in the circle for the Wildcats.
UP NEXT:
The final regular season home games will be the Wildcats' next home games, as they welcome Caldwell to Asbury Field for a doubleheader on Tuesday. The first pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.