FORT MYERS, Florida – The Wilmington College softball team split a pair of games on day two of its spring trip, coming from behind to edge the State University of New York at Brockport (SUNY Brockport) 9-8 and falling to Swarthmore College 9-1 in five innings on Monday.
In the game one victory, the Fightin' Quakers got on the board in the first as a Micalah Hensley singled home Savannah Hooper. In the second, Wilmington tacked on two more runs courtesy of a solo home run from Kaylee Barber and a double from Megan Crager, scoring Savannah Hooper once again.
After neither team scored in the third inning, the Quakers plated three more runs in the fourth on three hits, including an RBI-single from Jillia Cook, and two errors to take a 6-0 lead.
SUNY Brockport's bats game alive in the top of the fifth by loading the bases for cleanup hitter Jessica Koneski. She delivered, clearing the bases with a grand slam to get the Golden Eagles within two runs (6-4).
Wilmington got one run back in the bottom of the fifth on double from Crager scoring Savannah Hooper for the third time. After a scoreless sixth inning from both teams, the Golden Eagles trailed 7-4 entering the top of the seventh. The Quakers retired the lead-off batter, but Koneski hit her second home run of the day to pull SUNY Brockport within two runs (7-5). Four hits and an error that followed saw Wilmington trailing 8-7 entering the bottom of the seventh.
Needing to score a run to push the game to extra innings, Barber led off the frame with a single, and was bunted over to second by Chandler Fields. Savannah Hooper then hit an infield single giving the Quakers runners on the corners with one out.
Head Coach Beth Floyd then called for a double steal, which was successful as Barber crossed home plate to tie the game 7-7. Bailey Sweeney advanced Savannah Hooper to third base with a single through the left side, and Cook came up with a walk-off hit.
"It was a very exciting game in which both teams played exceptionally well," Floyd said. "It was great to see our team fight back, never give up and believe in each other."
Grace Shell pitched four innings for Wilmington as the starter, but Beth Persicano earned the victory pitching three innings of relief. Amanda Colon took the loss for SUNY Brockport.
The Quakers held a 15-14 edge in hits as a team including a 3-for-5 game from Savannah Hooper. Crager, Cook, Barber and Mariyah Burkhardt all recorded multi-hit games with Crager and Cook each driving in two runs.
Koneski finished 4-for-4 with five RBIs and two home runs to lead the Golden Eagles in defeat.
In game two, neither team scored in the first two innings, but the Garnet hung a six-spot on the Quakers in the top of the third inning. Swarthmore added three more runs in the top of the fifth, and Barber gave Wilmington its run by grounding into a fielder's choice in the bottom half of the inning.
Periscano, the game one winner and game two starter, took the loss for the Quakers allowing four earned runs in 2.1 innings pitched. Lucy Decker earned the win for Swarthmore.
The Quakers had two hits in the game, one from Cook and the other from Allison Pierce.
Wilmington has tomorrow off before playing Edgewood College and Salem State University on Wednesday.
