Wilmington University baseball earns a split versus St. Thomas Aquinas

Photo by Steshka Willems/Pexels

The Wilmington University baseball team earned a split versus the St. Thomas Aquinas College Spartans on Friday with a 3-2 win in Game One, and a 1-0 loss in the second match.

Let’s talk about the 3-2 win!

Base Final (GM1) | #WilmUBaseball 3 – St. Thomas Aquinas 2. WU now 4-1. WP – Quinn (1-0); SV – Grady (1). Huff went 5 IP, 7 K, 2 ER on 3 hits. Erik Grady goes 2-for-2, Tyler Pirrung goes 2-for-3 with 2 doubles, 2 RBI. Zach Walker the go-ahead RBI single in 7th.

— Wilmington Wildcats (@WilmUAthletics) March 1, 2024

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Grady & McDonald combine for 6 RBIs in Wilmington University’s 10-3 win over Staten Island

Game Recap:

Wilmington University would trail by two runs at the end of the second inning.

Neither team could get any runs home in the first inning, but that wasn’t the case in the second, as St. Thomas Aquinas would light up the scoreboard during that period.

The Spartans would score two runs on two hits and one error to grab a 2-0 lead at the bottom of the second.

Sean Lynch would score the first run for his team, as he advanced to third on an error and then went home on a failed pick-off attempt.

Two plays later, Joseph Scamardella would hit an RBI single to center field to extend St. Thomas Aquinas’s edge to 2-0.

The Wildcats tied the game up at two in the fourth inning.

WilmU’s batters were in a funk as no one in the lineup graced a base since the first inning, but that would all change in the top of the fourth. 

The Wildcats would push two runs in on one hit to tie the game up at two in the fourth inning. 

It was looking like the inning might be a short one as the first two batters grounded out and struck out. 

Senior second baseman  Erik Grady would step up the plate next, and he earned a walk. Grady would advance to second on a wild pitch on the following play.

Then, the next two batters would also get walked, which meant the bases were loaded for sophomore infielder Tyler Pirrung.

Pirrung did not waste the opportunity, as he hit a two-out, two-run double to right field to tie the game at two.

Wilmington University takes home a 3-2 victory!

Pitching would take over for the next two innings, as the opposing lineups would combine for only three hits with no runs sent home. 

The Wildcats would end that in the top of the seventh inning, as the team scored one run on two hits to give them a 3-2 edge.

 Tyler Pirrung would come up the plate first and hit his second double of the day to get on base. Two plays later, Pirrung would steal third base.

Junior infielder Zach Walker would step up to the plate next, and he would slap an RBI single to center field to give WilmU a 3-2 lead in the top of the seventh inning.

Pitching would do the rest of the job to seal the 3-2 victory, as senior pitcher Dom Grady came in the bottom of the seventh and gave up only a walk in the inning.

Pitching Recap:

Graduate student starting pitcher Derek Huff went seven innings and gave up three hits, two runs, two earned runs, four walks, and seven strikeouts.

Freshman Garrett Quinn came in the game for Huff, as he went one inning, gave up two walks, and struck out one batter to earn the win.

Pitching would do the rest of the job to seal the 3-2 victory, as senior pitcher Dom Grady came in the bottom of the seventh and gave up only a walk in the inning.