TAMPA, Fla. - - The 20th ranked Wilmington University softball team nearly took down the fourth-ranked team in the country, but eventually succumbed in extra innings, 4-3, before dropping the nightcap, 9-1, on Thursday afternoon at Naimoli Field.
GAME 1:
The Wildcats (5-8) tied the game with two runs in the fourth and even held a 3-2 lead with a run in the top of the eighth inning, but a close play at the plate went Tampa's (16-4) way and they eventually won it in the 11th inning.
Kylee Gunkel pitched the entire game for the Wildcats, throwing 10 innings while allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits in the tough-luck loss.
Tampa scored on a solo homer and a two-out single, stolen base, and double in the third inning. But the Wildcats answered with their own two-out magic in the fourth. Sara Miller singled and stole second. Tristyn Stewart singles to put two out for Hannah Parks. Parks found some green over the head of the shortstop in left, scoring both Miller and Stewart to tie the game, 2-2.
Taylor Gillis singled with one out in the eighth and then was standing on third with Sam Freeland batting. She bunted home Gillis for the go-ahead run, and the Wildcats had runners on second and third with only one out. But Tampa limited the damage, picking up two strikeouts to escape with only giving up one run.
Tampa singled to start the bottom of the eighth, but then Gunkel picked up two outs with the runner on second. Sam Freeland made a diving stop up the middle, but the runner narrowly beat out the throw at first and the runner from second never stopped, sliding in just ahead of the throw to tie the game, 3-3.
The Wildcats had runners in scoring position in the ninth and 10th innings but couldn't come up with the big two-out hit to retake the lead. Tampa started the 11th with a leadoff walk, and then an errant throw on a sacrifice bunt allowed the runner to come all the way around to score the game-winning run, 4-3.
The Wildcats had 10 hits in the game with Lexi Moore going 2-for-5 with a stolen base.
GAME 2:
The Wildcats looked ready to battle with the Spartans again in game two, scoring in the top of the first. Taylor Gillis singled to start the game and then raced around the bases on an error to take a 1-0 lead. But then Lexi Moore was tossed out at the plate and the Wildcats were stopped with only one run in the inning.
Tampa answered in the bottom of the first however, hitting a two-run triple, an infield with an RBI, and another RBI single in the inning to regain momentum and the 4-1 lead.
The Wildcats had another runner thrown out at the plate in the third inning and had more baserunning mishaps in the fourth inning.
The Spartans had an RBI triple in the second and then scored another on an error in the fifth inning. They forced the mercy rule into effect in the sixth inning, getting a two-run single back up the middle to end the game.
Gillis, Freeland, and Bella Barnes all had hits in the game for the Wildcats.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats conclude their extensive Florida Trip on Friday when they travel to No. 18 Saint Leo for another doubleheader against a ranked opponent. The opening pitch of the doubleheader is set for 5:00 p.m. in Saint Leo, Florida.
