PHOTOS - ST. JOSEPH'S | WESTCONN
NAPLES, Florida – The Wilmington College softball team split a twinbill at the Gene Cusic Classic on Tuesday, falling to St. Joseph's College of Brooklyn 8-7 and defeating Western Connecticut State University (WestConn) 10-2 in six innings.
Against St. Joseph's, the top of the Quakers' lineup continued to deliver as Judaea Wilson reached base via an infield single and Logann Julian doubled to left field. Lindsey Carter then put a bunt down and that turned into a single and more. The throw to first went all the way to the first-base dugout, resulting in Carter rounding the bases and coming home.
WC starter Alexis Stringfellow pitched around a walk in the bottom of the first, and Wilson and Julian again reached base via hits in the second. This time Olivia Doll delivered, ripping a single through the left side scoring two runs. Trailing 5-0, the Bears used a Quaker error in the second to go along with two triples to score four runs. Hillary Huffer relieved Stringfellow and induced a pop out to end the inning.
Mollie Moore would make it 6-4 with a sacrifice fly that scored Rachel Berry in the top of the third, and the Wilmington defense ended the bottom half of the inning with a 4-3 double play. St. Joseph's made a pitching change in the fourth, and it seemed to keep the Quaker offense at bay. During that time, the Bears scored two runs in the fourth to tie the game, and if it wasn't for a fantastic diving catch from Berry in center field to end the fifth, St. Joseph's would have taken the lead.
The Quakers regained a 7-6 advantage with an RBI-triple from Samantha Schwab in the top of the sixth, but the Bears walked it off with two runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Huffer took the loss, allowing three earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts in five innings. Brooke Horn earned her first of the season for St. Joseph's, allowing just three hits in four innings with five strikeouts.
Wilson finished a perfect 4-for-4 at the top of the lineup with three runs scored while Julian and Berry also had multi-hit contests. Maeve McKeon led the way for the Bears with a 3-for-4 performance with an RBI and two runs scored.
In the win over WestConn, neither team scored for two innings. After a 1-2-3 top of the third from WC starter Izzy Rothrock, Wilmington loaded the bases on infield hits from Mollie Moore, Julian and Carter. Samantha Schwab then opened the scoring with a single through the left side. A fielder's choice followed, but Doll worked the count to full and drew a walk to score another run. An error from the Wolves scored two unearned runs, and the Quakers took a 4-0 lead into the fourth.
WestConn got on the board with a sacrifice bunt in the fourth, but RBI-hits to right field from Berry and Doll put WC up 7-1. A sacrifice fly plated another Wolves run in the fifth, but the Quakers ended the game in the bottom of the sixth with three runs including a two-RBI single to center field from McKenna Archey.
Rothrock earned her first win of the season by allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits in six innings with nine strikeouts. Sarah Milyko fell to 0-1 allowing seven runs (two earned) on 11 hits in five innings pitched.
The Quakers outhit the Wolves 14-5 with Schwab's 3-for-4 performance with two runs scored leading the way. Wilson, Carter, Moore and Doll all had two hits with Doll driving in a team-high three runs. Jada Miconi had two of WestConn's five hits.
Wilmington (5-3) will face Alfred State University and the University of Wisconsin Superior tomorrow (Wednesday) at 9 a.m. & 11 a.m. respectively.
