GARDEN CITY, N.Y. - - In a rematch of last season's NCAA East Super Regional series, the 18th ranked Adelphi Panthers won a pair of walk-off contests over the Wilmington University softball team, 1-0 and 3-2, on Tuesday afternoon at Fickle Field.
The Panthers (17-4) won game one on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh and then two errors and an RBI single gave Adelphi a 3-2 victory in the bottom of the seventh of game two.
GAME 1:
Delani Sheehan pitched out of trouble throughout game one but didn't crack until the bottom of the seventh. The offense couldn't find the plate off former NFCA Second Team All-American pitcher Lindsey Hibbs, collecting four hits but leaving all four on base.
Taylor Gillis doubled in the top of the first but was left in scoring position. The Panthers loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning, but Sheehan induced a grounder to third to leave the game scoreless.
Lexi Moore started the fourth with a single and then stole second base. But Hibbs struck out two batters and induced a fly ball to leave Moore at third. The Panthers then put two runners on with one out, but Sheehan got a pair of grounders to leave to runners in scoring position.
Adelphi loaded the bases in the fifth but Sheehan picked up a strikeout to escape the jam. Jess Reed and Lexi Moore singled in the sixth, but again Hibbs got the final two outs with leaving the Wildcats on first and second.
Adelphi again loaded the bases in the sixth, this time with no outs in the inning. A shallow fly ball to left, a force out at the plate, and a grounder to second saw Sheehan escape once again. But the Wildcats couldn't escape the Panthers in the seventh, as Alexa Sacripante doubled to right center to start the inning. After a sacrifice bunt put the runner on third, a fly ball to center was deep enough to score the runner for the 1-0 victory.
Lexi Moore went 2-for-3 with a stolen base while Taylor Gillis had a double. Jess Reed also went 1-for-3. Delani Sheehan fell to 7-5 on the year in the tough-luck loss, striking out four while allowing a run on nine hits and three walks.
GAME 2:
Adelphi took a different approach in game two and scored a run with their first two batters of the game. A leadoff triple scored on an RBI single and then they made it 2-0 in the first with a sacrifice fly off starter Kylee Gunkel.
Gunkel settled in from there, retiring nine of the next 10 batters to work through the fourth inning. Taylor Gillis collected the Wildcats' first hit of the game in the fourth, as the Wildcats put two runners on with one out, but they couldn't find the big hit.
Emma Zimmerman started the fifth with a leadoff walk and then both Cassidy Zelano and Tristyn Stewart each reached on fielders' choices to load the bases with no outs. Adelphi's third baseman Kendall Winn made the next two plays in the field, throwing out runners at the plate. But they couldn't get Taylor Gillis out, as she hit a two-out, two-run single to left to tie the game, 2-2.
The offense halted as Hibbs came back in for the Panthers, but Gunkel was also up to the task. She left a runner on in the fifth and set the Panthers down in order in the sixth and the first two batters in the seventh. With two outs and the bases empty, the Panthers put the next two runners on with errors. Jordyn Pasqueralli then singled just out of the reach of Lexi Moore at shortstop, and the winning run scored from second, 3-2.
Taylor Gillis was the only Wildcat with hits in game two, going 2-for-3. Kylee Gunkel earned the tough loss to fall to 9-2, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits while striking out a pair.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats get right back on the diamond on Wednesday, as they return to Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference play and face Chestnut Hill at Asbury Field. The first pitch is set for 2:30 p.m.