WATERBURY, Conn. - - The bats came alive for the Wilmington University softball team in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference sweep of Post on Saturday, winning 7-0 and 16-2, combining for 28 hits at LaMoy Field.
GAME 1:
Delanie Sheehan struck out 12 batters while only allowing one hit while the offense scored all seven runs in the first four innings to take the opener, 7-0.
The 12 strikeouts were one shy of her career high that Sheehan set earlier this season, striking out 13 against West Chester in the season opener.
Tristyn Stewart started the game with a double and scored the first run on an RBI single by Bella Barnes. With two on and two out in the second, Maddie Vollmar tripled to left center, making it a 3-0 game. Eve Serrato hit a one-out solo homer in the top of third inning and then the Wildcats scored four more in the top of the fourth.
Stewart started the fourth with a triple and scored on a Haley Grygo sacrifice fly. Bella Barned doubled in Vollmar and the Cassidy Zelano doubled in Barnes for the 7-0 lead.
The Eagles got a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth and then Sheehan struck out batter number 12 to start the bottom of the seventh before being lifted. Kasey Xenidis closed out the shutout for the Wildcats by leaving a runner on first.
Bella Barned went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI while Stewart, Vollmar, Serrato, and Zelano all had two hits in the game as well.
GAME 2:
Post took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning, but then the Wildcats scored 16 unanswered runs in the third, fourth, and fifth innings.
Maddie Vollmar doubled to start a rally in the third, scoring on a bunt single by Bella Barnes. Two runs came home on a throwing error and then three batters later Tristyn Stewart singled in two more as the Wildcats took a 5-2 lead.
After a short rain delay, the Wildcats came back out and put four more runs on the board in top of the fourth. Haley Grygo two a two-run single and then Emma Zimmerman bunted in another run. Stewart made it 9-2 with an RBI groundout.
The Wildcats scored seven runs in the top of the fifth to put the mercy rule into effect. Sydney Hatched tripled in two runs and then Cassidy Zelano knocked her in with a single. Now with two outs, Emma Zimmerman hit an RBI single before Vollmar hit another triple, scoring two more. Eve Serrato ended the scoring with an RBI single for the 16-2 lead.
Olivia Hitchens pitched the bottom of the fifth, picking up two strikeouts to close out the contest and the CACC sweep.
Tristyn Stewart and Emma Zimmerman had three hits each for the Wildcats, with Stewart leading the way with three RBI. Vollmar, Hatch, Zelano, and Grygo all had two hits in the nightcap for the Wildcats.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats remain north for another doubleheader on Sunday. They play at Molloy in a nonconference twinbill starting at 12:00 p.m.