MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. - - Three St. Thomas pitchers shut down the bats of the Wilmington University baseball team on Monday night, as the Wildcats fell 4-0 in the first game of their week long Florida trip, losing for the first time in 2012.
After starting the 2012 campaign with a three-game sweep over Merrimack last weekend, the Wildcats fell to 3-1 on the young season, dropping a contest at NAIA's St. Thomas (19-5) on the Florida teams home field.
Wilmington could only muster two hits on the night, and only five total base runners, while Emilio Ogando threw seven shutout innings with four strikeouts to pick up the win. Ricky Claudio and Dane Stone each pitched an inning of relief to close out the game for the Bobcats.
St. Thomas scored in three consecutive innings, but would only need the one run it picked up in the bottom of the third to secure the victory.
Antonio Sepulveda doubled off Wildcat starter Tim Racek to start the home half of the third. Joel Capote then singled to put runners on first and third with no outs. The Bobcats tried to sneak a run home on a double steal, as the Wildcats got Capote out at third, but Sepulveda came home for the 1-0 lead.
The Bobcats would add two more in the fourth and a single run in the fifth to round out the scoring.
Racek was touched for three runs (two earned) in 3.2 innings pitched in the loss. Rob Gore got his first action of the 2012 season, as he threw 1.1 innings while giving up one run on three hits. Tyler Fries pitched the sixth and seventh innings in scoreless fashion, only allowing one hit and one walk. Frank Samluk also saw his first action of the season, throwing a scoreless eighth inning while striking out one Bobcat.
Jordan Oncay and Adam Soley picked up the hits for the Wildcats, each going 1-for-4 on the evening. Brandon Payne and Kyle Hitchens each worked a walk while Joe Harbach was plunked with a pitch as the only other Wildcats to reach base.
The Wildcats will have a chance to redeem themselves on Wednesday, as they move to the Santaluces Sports Complex in Lantana, Fla., for a doubleheader against Saint Rose. Game one is schedule for a 2 p.m. first pitch.