Photo of Sam Freeland following her sacrifice fly in the seventh inning to give the Wildcats a 4-2 lead. Copyright 2024; Wilmington University. All rights reserved. Photo by Dan Lauletta. May 21, 2024 vs. Augustana (SD) in NCAA Championships. Longwood, Fla.
Posted: May 21, 2024
Check out the postgame interviews here
LONGWOOD, Fla. - - The Wilmington University softball team stayed alive in the 2024 NCAA Division II Softball Championships with a 5-2 victory over No. 7 Augustana (S.D.) on Monday afternoon at the Boombah-Soldiers Creek Park field.
The win is the first win as one of the final eight teams at a National Championships site in Wilmington University athletics department's NCAA era.
The Wildcats (46-15) turn right around and play No. 8 Lenoir-Rhyne in another elimination game on Tuesday night. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and can be viewed on NCAA.com.
How It Happened:
- First Inning
- Lexi Moore hits a one-out single, moves to second on sacrifice bunt by Gabriella Saucedo
- Sara Miller reaches on an error, steals second.
- Taylor Gillis hits a two-out, full count single to right, scoring two.
- Third Inning
- Augustana hits a one-out, opposite field homer to get on the board
- Cassidy Zelano is stranded on second after Emma Zimmer led off the inning with a single
- Fourth Inning
- Vikings hit back-to-back one out singles.
- With two outs, a chopper to short rushes Lexi Moore, her throw gets away to allow one to score, but the trailing runner is caught at the plate by Sara Miller.
- Sara Miller leads off the inning with a single but was left at third.
- Sixth Inning
- An error allows Lexi Moore to reach to start the frame. She steals second and is on third after a grounder by Gabriella Saucedo.
- Sara Miller bunts, but Moore scampers back to third safely. Miller steals second
- Taylor Gillis lays down a squeeze bunt to score Moore and take a 3-2 lead; steals second
- Sam Freeland hits a sacrifice fly to right to score Miller. After review (Miller leaving on time), the play stands; 4-2, Wildcats.
- Julia Thuer drops one in front of the left fielder, scoring Taylor Gillis; 5-2, Wildcats.
- Seventh Inning
- Delani Sheehan only needs six pitches to get three outs in the 7th… ends the game
- Totals:
- Delani Sheehan improves to 20-7 on the year with a complete game, six-hitter, allowing one earned run.
- Sara Miller goes 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two stolen bases
- Taylor Gillis goes 1-for-2 with three RBI
- Lexi Moore with two runs scored and a stolen base.
