VIDEO INTERVIEW - JARRET TRAUTMAN & ADAM DOERGER
FORT MYERS, Florida - The Wilmington College baseball team opened its 2018 spring trip with a doubleheader sweep of Gallaudet University, winning game on 2-1 and game two 7-2 on Sunday.
In game one, Wilmington threatened to score in the first two innings, but groundouts to the shortstop in both innings ended the threat. The Quakers struck in the third, however, as Josh Chua doubled home Daniel Hayes with one out. Wilmington nearly broke the game open, but a flyout to right field left the bases loaded.
Wilmington again had runners in scoring position in the fourth thanks to a walk drawn by Kasey Bottorff and a double from Shane Hale. Once again, however, a groundout ended the threat. The Bison answered in the bottom of the fourth with a single and a double to lead off the frame to tie the game 1-1.
Neither team scored in the fifth inning, but Wilmington opened the sixth with a single from Kyle Short, and Bottorff did his part by laying down a perfect sacrifice bunt. The Quakers then took advantage of two Gallaudet errors on the same play, as a grounder bounced through the third basemen's hands and was also misplayed by the right fielder. The results scored a run from Wilmington that proved to be the winning run.
Gallaudet had a runner on third with no outs on the sixth, but two strikeouts from Adam Doerger and a flyout stranded the tying run. The Bison got the tying run to third in the seventh as well, but another Doerger strikeout gave the freshman his first collegiate save.
Jarett Trautman earned the win for the Quakers pitching five innings allowing one earned run and one strikeout. Doerger tallied four strikeouts in two innings pitched. Frank Diaz took the loss for Gallaudet despite allowing just one earned run in 5.2 innings pitched.
Luke Kleindl finished with two of Wilmington's seven hits while Joey Allinder added a hit and a stolen base. Cameron Upton finished 2-of-2 for Gallaudet.
Upton would be the Bison's starter for game two, but his outing on the mound would not last two innings. Wilmington used three Gallaudet errors to score two runs in the first inning, and a four-hit, four-run second inning gave the Quakers a six-run advantage it would not relinquish.
Lance Fleischman earned the victory allowing one earned run in 4.2 innings of work (of a seven-inning game). Alec Robinette, who came in from the bullpen, did not allow a runner to reach base in the final 2.1 innings.
Chua and Daniel Hayes both finished with two hits apiece while three other Quakers recorded a single hit. Kyle Gumm tallied two of Gallaudet's five hits.
Wilmington (2-4) return to action for two games tomorrow (Monday) against Skidmore College and Lakeland University.
*Due to expected rain in the Fort Myers area, both games have been pushed back three hours. Wilmington will face Skidmore at noon and Lakeland at 3 p.m.
