WILMINGTON, Del. - - A fast start allowed the Wilmington University baseball team advance to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament Championship game on Saturday, beating No. 6 seed Chestnut Hill, 10-0, on Friday in the winner's bracket game at Frawley Stadium on Friday afternoon.
Ray Gambone tossed the first the first eight innings for the Wildcats (39-12 overall), striking out five batters while needing only 92 pitches to get through his outing. He gave up six hits while only walking one before handing the ball over to Jarrett Shaffer for the ninth inning. On the flip side, Chestnut Hill (19-26 overall) used four pitchers to get through the contest, with no pitcher throwing more than three innings.
The bats came alive in the first inning, as the Wildcats hit a record three triples, scoring three runs to take the lead and give Gambone an easier time. Jordan Johnson walked on four pitches to lead off the Wildcat inning before Castro tripled to right center for the games' first run. Josh Hampton hit a sacrifice fly for the second run of the inning, clearing the bases with only one out. Jonathan Rodriguez followed with a triple over the head of the left fielder to restart the rally followed by another triple over the head of the center fielder by Sam Goines. After the first, the Wildcats were up 3-0 and cruising.
The Wildcats added a pair of runs in the second inning, starting the rally with two outs and the bases empty. Getting back to the top of the order, Johnson started the run scoring inning with a single inside the third base bag. It looked as though the Griffins were going to be able to get out of the inning, but the first baseman dropped a throw at first, extending the inning. Hampton followed with a bloop single into right field, scoring Johnson for the 3-0 lead.
With runners at first and third, Hampton took off for second but stopped in the middle, drawing the throw from the catcher, allowing Castro to steal home without a throw for the 5-0 lead.
The fourth inning was another big inning for the Wildcats, as another rally started with two outs and the bases empty. Hampton and Matt Lopes walked back-to-back walks before Rodriguez lined a ball down the left field line, kicking around with the wall in foul territory, getting past the left fielder. Rodriguez didn't stop as he rounded third base, touching home standing up as he hit his second inside-the-park homerun of the season. The Wildcats were up 8-0 after the fourth inning.
Gambone cruised through the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, getting the Wildcats into the eighth inning with the 8-0 lead. The Wildcats added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth before Shaffer replaced Gambone for the ninth.
Shaffer allowed the first two batters to reach, but worked out of the two-on jam to give the Wildcats their sixth shutout of the season.
Goines led the Wildcats by going 3-for-4 with his fourth triple of the year, knocking in one run. Johnson, Castro, Hampton, Rodriguez, and Frank Samluk added two hits apiece for the Wildcats while Rodriguez led the team with three RBI. Johnson scored three runs from atop the Wildcat lineup.
The Wildcats move onto the championship round on Saturday out of the winner's bracket and will play Chestnut Hill once against as the Griffins came out of the loser's bracket on Friday night. The Griffin's defeated Felician College in the nightcap, 13-6, to reach the championship round.
The game will begin at 11 a.m. at Frawley Stadium on Saturday, with an if necessary game to follow if Chestnut Hill wins the first game.
