MONTCLAIR, N.J. - - Errors and a game two walk-off home run crushed the Wilmington University baseball team as the Wildcats dropped a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader to Bloomfield College, 7-4 and 2-1, on Saturday afternoon held at Yogi Berra Stadium on the campus of Montclair State University.
The doubleheader was moved up an 11 a.m. start to try and beat the incoming inclement weather and the Wildcats (12-9, 3-4 CACC) got off to a slow start in game one and Bloomfield (11-9, 6-0 CACC) used a two-out, bases empty home run in the bottom of the ninth to claim the sweep.
Errors marred the Wildcats in game one of the doubleheader, as five of the seven runs were unearned on four mishaps through the first nine innings.
Bloomfield got on the board first with a four run second inning. After starter Jamie Treml had two outs and a runner on third, he committed an error following a hit scoring the first run of the game, extending the inning and allowing the Deacons to put three more unearned runs on the boar in the home half of the second.
Adam Soley put the Wildcats on the board in the top of the fifth with a one out solo home run to bring the visitors to within three. Frank Samluk followed Soley with a single to restart a rally but Deacon starter Luis Nova got the next three batters out to get out of the inning still leading 4-1.
The Deacons added to their lead with two more unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth, putting a damper on the comeback bid for the Wildcats.
Wilmington tacked on a single run in the sixth and two more in the seventh, but it wasn't enough as the Wildcats dropped game one at Yogi Berra Stadium, 7-4.
Treml dropped his first game of the season and fell to 2-1 after throwing 5.1 innings while giving up seven runs (two earned) on 10 hits. He recorded two strikeouts but also allowed two walks in the loss. Soley and Jordan Johnson each went 2-for-4 for the Wildcats in game one.
Wilmington got off to a faster start in the nightcap of the doubleheader, getting a lead in the third inning with a single run. Senior Mike Godwin led off the top of the third with a double, and moved to third as Jordan Oncay laid down a successful sacrifice bunt. Godwin came home to score as Joe Marciano put a ball in play, grounding out to second for the RBI.
Game two starter Dave Hatt threw another gem on the mound for the Wildcats, saving his bullpen as he threw the complete game with only three hits, but gave up the lead in the fifth inning. Hatt gave up a leadoff single and the Deacons tied the game with a two out RBI single, knotting the game at 1-1.
The Wildcats got a leadoff single in the top of the 6th by Kyle Hitchens, but Bloomfield starter Luis Mendoza got out of the inning while only allowing Hitchens to reach second base.
Mendoza then sent the Wildcats down in order over the final three innings, setting up the walk off win for the Deacons.
Hatt picked up the first two outs in the bottom of the ninth on a comebacker to the mound and another groundout, but Rafael Mendoza sent a pitch over the outfield wall with two outs and the bases empty for the game winner.
Hatt gave up the two runs in 8.2 innings, getting one strikeout in the game while only giving up three hits. Mendoza allowed four hits in his complete game effort, striking out four batters and walking three.
Hitchens picked up three out of the four hits for the Wildcats in game two, while Godwin's double accounted for the fourth. The three hits by the Deacons were spread out among three different batters for game two.
The Wildcats were scheduled to play a nonconference doubleheader at Mansfield on Sunday, but the weekend weather has forced the teams into a cancelation. The Wildcats will now next play Shippensburg in a single, nine-inning nonconference contest at Wilson Field. The game is slated for a 3 p.m. start.