Boxscore Game 1
Boxscore Game 2
NEW CASTLE, Del. – The Goldey-Beacom College softball team came up just short in two one-run losses to crosstown rival, Wilmington University in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference play on Mon. afternoon at Asbury Field. The Lightning fell 3-2 in game one and 4-3 in a nine-inning game two.
With the two losses, GBC fell to the .500 mark on the season at 16-16 overall and 7-13 in league play while Wilmington improved to 22-16 (12-6 CACC).
Junior Danie Rice, with a solo homerun in game two, became GBC's all-time leader in runs batted in with 72 for her career, surpassing Kendra Russell ('08) to top the list. She also had a team-high three hits on the day which puts her one shy of becoming just the seventh player in school history to collect 100 career hits.
The Lightning, who have shown they can compete with any team in the conference, have now had seven of their losses this season come by just one run.
Game 1:
The first game of the doubleheader featured a classic pitchers' duel featuring two of the top pitchers in the league: GBC's Heather Draper and Wilmington's Katie Warrington.
Through four innings, Draper allowed just two Wildcat baserunners (one hit, one walk) and Warrington gave up just one hit to freshman Michelle Foster as the game was scoreless heading into the fifth inning.
The Lightning struck first in the top of the fifth inning as they rallied for two runs on two hits to take an early 2-0 advantage.
Rice got things started with a one-out base-hit to left field, and senior Jackie Waddle came in to pinch run. Waddle advanced to second base safely as junior Shannon O'Hara reached on a fielder's choice, and junior Dana Walker came in to pinch run for O'Hara.
The two pinch runners moved up a base on a well-executed sacrifice bunt by freshman Ashley Zaccaria, and sophomore Angelina Myers brought them both home on a two-RBI single to right field.
But with a two-run cushion, Draper began to unravel in the bottom of the fifth as Kinsley Parker and Amanda Crockett both singled right back up the middle to start the inning.
The Lightning's third winningest pitcher in school history battled back to get Jessica Hassman to pop up to the catcher, Rice for the first out, but would commit a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt by Lauren Syzmanski. Parker would score, Crockett advanced to third, and Syzmanski moved to second on the play.
Still with just one out, Brooke Berger walked to load the bases as Christin Headley stepped up to the plate. Headley hit a ground ball to Zaccaria at shortstop, who elected to throw Syzmanski out at third for the second out as Crockett came home for the tying run. Draper then struck out Amanda Cordrey with two runners still aboard for the final out of the inning.
Freshman Roni Peters tried to spark a two-out rally in the top of the sixth as she singled and then stole second base. Junior Cailin Cavanaugh could not bring her around though as she popped up to first base to end the inning.
Nicole Gebhart doubled to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning for Wilmington, and GBC head coach Bill Streets sent in sophomore Leanne Miller to finish the game.
Miller's first batter, Kayla Carrow, executed a sacrifice bunt that allowed pinch runner Meghan Logullo to move to third with just one out. The next batter, Parker, knocked in Logullo with a single to left field for what would prove to be the winning run.
In the top of the seventh, Zaccaria reached on an outfield error by Wilmington and advanced to second on the play with Goldey-Beacom down to its final out. Warrington (12-5), the league leader in ERA, was able to put Myers down on strikes to end the game though, as the Lightning came up one run short, 3-2.
Game 2:
The hosts got on the board first in the nightcap, tagging Lightning starting pitcher, junior Sadie Jones, for one run on three hits in the bottom of the third inning. GBC had one hit in each of the first three innings, but could not generate any runs.
Miller would come on to start the bottom of the fourth after another scoreless frame by the Lightning, and the Wildcats erupted for five hits and scored two more runs to extend the lead to 3-0.
Rice got Goldey-Beacom on the board with a leadoff solo homerun to center field to make the score 3-1, but Heather Karasek retired the next three batters to end the inning.
Miller settled down to retire the side in order in the bottom of the fifth, striking out the first two Wilmington batters and forcing a groundout to second base for the third out.
The Lightning would knot the score at three apiece with two runs in the top of the sixth. Foster started the rally with a one-out walk, and advanced to second on a ground-out by junior Jordan Waterloo. She would come around to score as Peters ripped an RBI single to right field.
With two outs, Cavanaugh crushed a Karasek delivery for a triple into right-center field, scoring Peters from first and tying the score, 3-3. At that point, the Wildcats put their game one starter, Warrington, back in to close the game. Warrington got Rice to ground out for the final out of the inning.
Two fielding errors allowed two Wilmington base-runners aboard in the bottom of the sixth inning, but Miller was up to the challenge as she made it through the inning unharmed.
Neither team could score in the seventh frame as the Lightning entered into their third extra-inning game of the season.
GBC went down in order in the top of the eighth inning, but Wilmington did not go away so quietly. Carrow led off the inning with a double to center field and moved to third when she tagged up on a fly-ball by Crockett. Miller then got Hassman to line out to right field to end the threat.
With the international tie-breaker rule in effect, the Lightning began their at-bat in the top of the ninth with Waterloo placed on second base. After Peters grounded out to the shortstop, Cavanaugh executed a sacrifice bunt to move Waterloo to third. But with two outs, Rice grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning.
Wilmington began its half of the ninth with Hassman placed on second base. She advanced to third on a wild pitch, and Syzmanski roped a single into right field to bring her home for the winning run.
Syzmanski finished 3-for-5 with the game-winning RBI, and Warrington (13-5) earned her second win in as many games as she tossed 3.1 scoreless innings of relief.
