CARBONDALE, Illinois - The Wilmington College baseball dropped a pair of games to open the season on Saturday, falling 5-0 to the University of Wisconsin-Stout and 16-1 to North Central College (seven innings) in Carbondale, Illinois.
In game one, UW-Stout jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning as Hunter Merrill double down the left field line and later scored on an RBI-groundout.
Wilmington starter Luke Chappie settled down and pitched five consecutive scoreless innings. The Quakers' offense couldn't capitalize, however, as a flyout stranded two runners in the top of the fifth and a lead-off double from Nick Silvis was followed by two strikeouts and a groundout.
The Blue Devils added two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth for the victory.
Chappie, in his first collegiate start, earned a quality start going 6.1 innings scattering six hits and three earned runs with two strikeouts. Cameron Harbert pitched effectively in relief as well. Cody Urban earned the win for UW-Stout with five strikeouts in six innings while Ethan Kjellberg pitched a three-out save.
Silvis and Aaron Burns both tallied multi-hit games while Gavin Perkins and Luke Kleindl finished with one hit each. Charlie Sykowny led UW-Stout offensively going 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
In game two, Wilmington starter Lance Fleischman held the defending Collegiate Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) North Central College scoreless through four innings while Charlie Kemm of NCC kept the Quaker scoreless. Things unraveled for Wilmington in the fifth inning, however, as the Cardinals batted around to plate nine runs. The Quakers' bullpen couldn't hold as North Central scored four runs in the sixth and three in the seventh before the game was called after seven innings.
Klemm earned the win, striking out seven and not allowing a hit in six innings. Wilmington used four pitchers, all of whom allowed at least three earned runs.
North Central finished with 20 hits as a team while Wilmington had one, a home run off the bat of Caleb Scott.
Wilmington finishes out its weekend against Blackburn College (Illinois) tomorrow at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).
