BRONXVILLE, N.Y. - - All facets of the roster were on point today for the Wilmington University baseball team, as the Wildcats took both ends of a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader at Concordia, 6-3 and 7-0, on the strong arms of the starting pitchers and the bats which collected more than 10 hits in each game.
Wilmington (22-13, 9-6 CACC) moved into third place in the CACC standings, picking up its third consecutive conference sweep. Concordia (8-28, 6-8 CACC) could not solve Wildcat starters Jamie Treml or Dave Hatt, picking up only 12 hits and two earned runs combined in the two games.
Treml was blowing smoke by the Clipper hitters in game one, picking up 10 strikeouts while throwing seven innings. He allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits, using 114 pitches before handing the ball over to his eighth inning man, Nick Marics, and closer, Jordan Oncay.
Marics worked out of a jam with two runners on and no outs in the eighth, leaving the bases loaded and the Wildcats still leading 6-3. Oncay came on and picked up a strikeout before inducing a game-ending around the horn double play to earn his CACC leading eighth save of the season.
The offense came out fast in game one, as the Wildcats quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. With two outs and runners on first and third, Bryan Miller singled through the left side to score the game's first run as Joe Harbach came home after reaching on a free pass to start the rally. Frank Samluk walked to load the bases for the red-hot Brandon Payne who singled through the left side to make it 2-0 after the first half-inning of play.
Wilmington ran away with it in the top of the fourth, scoring all the runs they would need for Treml and the bullpen. Jonathon Rodriguez started the inning with his first of two doubles in the game. Now with runners on second and third, Harbach executed a safety squeeze bunt, dragging one to second to score Rodriguez and the 3-0 lead. Mike Godwin followed with an RBI double to center, scoring BJ Janney easily from third. Miller came through again for the Wildcats, singling through the left side for another RBI, scoring Godwin from third. Samluk finished off the four-run inning with a single into center field, plating Oncay to make it 6-0.
Treml gave up single runs in the fourth, sixth and sevens but the only real threat was in the seventh as he allowed three singles in the inning, leaving two runners on as he struck out his 10th batter with his final pitch of the day. Treml is now 3-2 on the year.
Janney led the Wildcats by going 4-for-6 in the game, while Oncay, Miller, Payne and Rodriguez added two hits apiece. In all, the team collected 15 hits in game one.
Hatt, the game two starter, did not want to be outdone by his teammate so he went out and threw a complete game shutout for his third win of the season. He struck out six batters while only allowing four hits and did not give up a single walk. He threw 121 pitches while facing 32 batters, five over the minimum.
The offense supported Hatt in the third inning, scoring two runs before adding two more in the fourth, one in the sixth and capped the scoring with two more runs in the eighth.
With Payne standing on third base after reaching on an error and being sacrificed over, Rodriguez continued his doubles swing as he launched another two-bagger down the left field line for the RBI and unearned run. Janney singled to left for his fifth hit of the day and as he stole second, Rodriguez scored from third on the throwing error for the 2-0 lead.
With one out in the fourth, Matt Lope as hit by a pitch and Samluk walked to start the two-run rally. Payne singled through the right side, scoring Lopes from second to give the Wildcats the 3-0 lead. After Hitchens walked to load the bases, Rodriguez flied out to center, allowing Samluk to trot home from third.
The two-run outburst in the eighth was the result of a Kyle Hitchens two-out double down the right field line, plating Oncay and Rodriguez and the 7-0 lead.
The seven runs on 12 hits was more than enough for Hatt, as he shut down the Concordia offense in all nine innings. He was getting stronger as the outing went on, as he finished the game by striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth to close out the doubleheader sweep.
Janney batted 3-for-5 in game two, making it a 7-for-11 afternoon with all seven base hits being singles. Oncay and Rodriguez picked up two more hits apiece in game two while Hitchens led all hitters with three RBI's.
The two wins game the Wildcats their fourth in a row and nine wins in their last 10 games overall. The team will look to improve upon its latest streak when they head to Nyack on Monday for another CACC doubleheader. The first pitch of game one will begin at 3 p.m.