NEW CASTLE, Del. - - The Wilmington University baseball team came back and won the nightcap against Goldey-Beaom, salvaging a split and a win in the series to stay alive for home field advantage in the postseason, on Saturday afternoon at Wilson Field.
The Lightning (29-17, 13-9 CACC) won the opener, 17-0, before the Wildcats (24-19, 13-9 CACC) scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to come back and win the nightcap, 5-4, to stay in a tie for second place in the CACC South Division. Both the Lightning and Wildcats locked up playoff berths on Saturday and will play each other in the CACC Tournament first Round Series.
Goldey-Beacom welcomes Dominican in the regular season finale on Sunday. A loss by the Lightning in either game would allow the Wildcats to host the CACC Tournament First Round Series next weekend. A Lightning sweep would give hosting duties to the Lightning.
GAME 1:
The opener was all Goldey-Beacom, as they scored multiple runs in all but one inning, smashing four homers and 14 hits overall to win the series.
A three-run homer in the top of the first put the Lightning on the board and then a four-run second inning put the visitors up 7-0. Goldey-Beacom hit a two-run shot in the top of the fourth, and then back-to-back solo shots with two outs in the top of the fifth.
The Wildcats' lone hit came in the bottom of the second inning, as Erik Grady singles into right-center to put runners on first and third with one out. But a double play erased the runners and ended the frame.
The Lightning's Darin Miller went 4-for-5 with a double and a homer, knocking in six. Garrett Musey went 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBI. Lightning starter Justin Jump improved to 6-3 with the complete game one-hitter.
GAME 2:
Trailing 4-1 early in the contest, the Wildcats stormed back and took the lead with a three-run bottom of the sixth to salvage a game in the series. The win keeps the Wildcats' hosting hopes alive as the Lightning now must win both on Sunday to host the playoff series.
Goldey-Beacom started the scoring in the nightcap with a sacrifice fly in the top of the first. Brandon Grygo led off the bottom of the first with a double and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Pirrung to tie the game, 1-1.
After starter Steve Schenning got the first two batters out in the top of the second, the Lightning strung together a single, a hit by pitch, a two-run triple, and another run on a wild pitch to take a 4-1 lead.
AJ Tropiano got one run back in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out RBI single, plating Pirrung who doubled.
Mason DeLuca gathered a wild pitch and tagged out the runner trying to score to end the top of the sixth, giving the Wildcats some life into the bottom of the inning.
The bottom of the sixth started with a Tyler Pirrung single and a Zach Walker double. AJ Tropiano picked up his second RBI single of the year, shooting it the other way into right to plate Pirrung. With the infield in, Walker scored the tying run on a chopper to second, with the throw to the plate too high. Now with two outs and the bases loaded, Shawn Edevane saw the infield shift and bunted one down the third base line, easily scoring Tropiano for the go-ahead run.
Dom Grady came on and allowed a leadoff walk and left the tying run at second as he picked up his seventh save of the year.
Shawn Edevane, Tyler Pirrung, and AJ Tropiano all had two hits in the game. Zack Czarnecki threw 3.2 scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts while Justin Barcoski came on for the final out of the top of the sixth, earning the win and going to 1-1.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats will keep an eye on the CACC Scoreboard on Sunday and see where they will play the Lightning next Friday in the CACC Tournament First Round Series.
