NEW CASTLE, Del. - The Concordia College softball team traveled to Wilmington University (Del.) on Sunday for their rescheduled Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) doubleheader. The Clippers would take the first game into extra innings, but came up short in a 5-1 defeat as the Wildcats also took game two, 5-0, to earn the sweep.
The games were originally scheduled to be played at Clipper Softball Field so both games had Concordia with the last at-bats.
Game one would be a pitcher's dual as junior Sarah Ross (Dunmore, Pa.) pitched seven innings without allowing the run as the two teams would play into extra innings. Ross pitched a one-two-three eighth inning as the Clippers were unable to score a run in the bottom of the inning.
The international tiebreaker rule would go into effect in the ninth inning with a runner placed on second base to start. After a sacrifice bunt for Wilmington, the Wildcats brought in the game's first run to hold the 1-0 lead. Concordia would knot the score in the home half of the ninth as a double for senior Carly Mertens (Freeport, N.Y.) brought home freshman Shayla Peterson (Bethlehem, Pa.). The Clippers were unable to to drive in Mertens as the game would go into the tenth inning.
Wilmington would put the game away in the tenth, scoring four runs to hold the 5-1 advantage. Concordia would go down in order in their last at-bats as the Wildcats secured the win. Ross pitched the complete game for the Clippers as she allowed one earned run on six hits while striking out two batters.
In the second game Wilmington would pick up where they left off with three runs in the top of the first inning to lead 3-0. The Wildcats would add two more runs in the third as Concordia struggled to get their offense going. The Clippers managed to only record three singles and a double in the game as Wilmington took the 5-0 victory. Peterson pitched the complete game for Concordia as she allowed five earned runs on nine hits while striking out a career-high four batters.
The Clippers (2-12, 1-7 CACC) will next visit Post University on Wednesday afternoon for a CACC matchup in Waterbury, Conn. First pitch of game one of the doubleheader is set for 3 p.m.