CALDWELL, N.J. - - The Wilmington University softball team split with Caldwell on Saturday afternoon, winning the opening game of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game, 11-4, before dropping the nightcap, 5-3, at the Caldwell Athletics Field.
The game two loss is the first one of the season in CACC play for the Wildcats, as the split now moves the 22nd ranked team to 29-12 overall, 13-1 in CACC play.
GAME 1:
With the game tied 4-4 after three complete innings, the Wildcats' offense responded with a four-run top of the fourth and three-run top of the fifth to take control of the game.
Lexi Moore hit an RBI single to break the 4-4 tie, scoring Tristyn Stewart from second base. Gabriella Saucedo followed with a two-run blast, giving the Wildcats a 7-4 lead. Sam Freeland added another run, hitting a two-out RBI single to score Sara Miller and the Wildcats led 8-4 going into the bottom of the fourth.
Lexi Moore started the scoring again in the top of the fifth, hitting an RBI single with runners on second and third. Saucedo added another RBI with a single and then an error allowed another run to score and all of a sudden, the Wildcats' lead was out to 11-4.
Brooke Koehler relieved Kylee Gunkel with two outs in the third and pitched the rest of the game, going 4.1 innings without allowing a run on two hits. She improves to 2-0 on the year with the win out of the pen.
Gabriella Saucedo went 3-for-5 with a homer, a double, and three RBI. Lexi Moore had three hits and two RBI while Sara Miller went 2-for-4 with two doubles, and two RBI. Sam Freeland also had two RBI in the opener.
GAME 2:
A two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth turned the game around for the Cougars (18-16, 6-8 CACC). The Wildcats had eight hits in the ballgame but left five runners on base and were thrown out trying to steal twice.
Caldwell took an early lead with a sacrifice fly and a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the first.
The offense got going in the third, as Delanie Sheehan hit a one-out double to chase Alexa Eisemann around the bases to score from first. Gabriella Saucedo stayed hot with a two-out RBI single, plating Stewart to tie the game, 2-2.
Taylor Gillis started a rally in the fourth, moving around the bases before scoring on an RBI groundout from Bella Barnes, giving the Wildcats the 3-2 lead.
Starter Delani Sheehan got the first two batters out in the bottom of the fifth inning, but then a single kept the inning alive for the Cougars. Ashleigh Tavaska then made it count with an opposite field home run, giving the home team the lead, 4-3. They would also add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out base knock.
A line drive double play saw the Wildcats' rally in the top of the sixth come to an end and then the Wildcats had a one-out single in the top of the seventh to bring the tying run to the plate. But back-to-back grounders saw the Wildcats come up short and drop their first CACC game of the season.
Taylor Gillis went 3-for-3 with a run scored while Delani Sheehan went 2-for-3 with a double.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats travel to Jefferson and Dominican this week with four CACC doubleheaders remaining in the regular season. They start with a trip to Philadelphia on Tuesday, with the first pitch against the Rams ar 1:00 p.m.