FLORENCE, Kentucky - The Wilmington College baseball team won a tight 5-4 contest in game one of a three-game series with Mount St. Joseph University (MSJ) at Florence Freedom Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
After a scoreless first inning, the Lions, played as the "visitor" in game one of the series, struck for two in the top of the second as Caleb Partin singled through the right side. With only one out in the inning, Fightin' Quaker starter Aaron Boster relied in his defense as a 6-4-3 double play ended the threat. For the second time this season, Aaron Burns went yard, opening the bottom of the second with a blast over the left field fence.
Leading 2-1, MSJ doubled its lead in the top of the fifth as a fielder's choice scored a run after two one-out single set the table. Just like the second inning, however, Wilmington got the run back as Evan Kelsey singled home Dominic Depa, who advanced to third after a successful sacrifice bunt from Jared Lammert. With runners on the corners, however, consecutive strikeouts prevented further damage and kept the Lion lead.
Boster got through the sixth inning to earn a quality start, and Burns would plate his second run of the game in the bottom of the frame, tying the contest 3-3. The senior walked to begin the inning, and Noah Martin's sacrifice bunt moved Burns into scoring position. After a lineout to center field, Depa singled to right, driving in the game-tying run.
Luke Chappie entered the game on the bump for the Quakers and stranded a one-out triple in the seventh and two-out double in the eighth. In the bottom of the eighth, Wilmington took advantage of Lion error, scoring the go-ahead run on a balk and an unearned insurance run on another RBI-single from Depa. As it turned out, the Quakers needed that insurance run as an RBI-groundout from MSJ go the Lions within a run (5-4) and put the potential game-tying run at third. Chappie earned the win, however, striking out Nicholas Shields, a pinch hitter, looking.
Both starting pitchers earned no-decision, quality starts as Boster allowed eight hits with five walks and seven strikeouts over six innings. His counterpart, Jacob Hughes, also pitched six innings and allowed seven hits with five strikeouts. Chappie earned the win with four strikeouts on and four hits in the final three innings. Brice McGee took the loss for JCU, allowing two hits and two unearned runs in two innings.
Depa finished 4-of-4 with a run scored and two RBIs to account for nearly half of WC's hits in the game. Five other Quakers had a single hit including Burns' home run and a double from Jesse Reliford. Max Kline led MSJ with a 3-of-5 performance with three runs scored.
Wilmington (2-2) will close out the series with a twinbill beginning at noon tomorrow (Sunday).
