WEST HAVEN, Conn. - - Opening the NCAA Division II East Regional I Tournament the Wilmington University softball team suffered a 1-0 setback to #20 LIU Post on Friday at the UNH Softball Field, hosted by the University of New Haven.
Playing in its first NCAA Regional contest after capturing their first Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament Championship last weekend, the Wildcats (28-25 overall) were seeded eighth and pitted against the East Region's top seed and 20th ranks LIU Post (46-8 overall). The Wildcats didn't back down, but it was a sixth inning run that sent the Pioneers to a victory.
Junior Kelsey Doherty led off the game with a single back up the middle and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Cambria Ziemba, but LIU Post pitcher Liz Weber settled in and induced a comebacker to the circle and a pop up to end the inning without any damage.
Senior Stephanie Sarris held the Pioneers in check all game long, stranding two runners on base in the second before tossing 1-2-3 innings in the fourth and fifth frames.
The Wildcats left Becca Stanley on second in the top of the sixth before the Pioneers went to work in the bottom half.
Angela Carmine started the inning with a single before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt from Alexis Gonzalez. Cleanup hitter Nicole Hagenah doubled to left, easily scoring Carmine for the game's lone run. Sarris battled back and induced a pair of foul outs to first baseman Katrina Swank to keep the damage to 1-0.
Meghan Logullo kept the Wildcats alive with a two-out single in the top of the seventh, but Jen Fischbach was robbed of a hit as third baseman Maria Palmeri made a great defensive play to her left on the sharp hit ball, tossing it over to first for the final out of the contest.
Sarris fell to 16-9 overall on the season after tossing all six innings while allowing a run on five hits. She struck out one batter in the game while not allowing a walk in the effort.
Weber improved to 23-3 on the year with the complete game shutout, allowing two hits while not picking up any strikeouts but also not walking any batters.
Doherty and Logullo picked up the team's two hits for the Wildcats in the loss.
In the other East Regional I Tournament game, fifth seeded Southern New Hampshire upset fourth seeded and host New Haven, 9-5, in the second game of the day.
The Wildcats will now face New Haven in an elimination game on Saturday in the second game of the day. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at New Haven.
Links to follow:
East Region Tournament Central
Live Stats
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