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In a winner take all matchup between crosstown rivals the Wilmington University Wildcats and the Goldey-Beacom Lightning needed extra innings to decide a winner. With two outs and runners on first and third Wilmington’s Sydney Hatch drove a 1-1 pitch to left field driving in the game winning run to win as the team rushed the field to celebrate the 1-0 victory.
Hatch told us in a post game interview “So I was really just looking for my pitch. She had been throwing more away and away and that is not typically what I go for. Bella Barnes just got her hit and I needed to back her up so I was going to swing as hard as I could. And that’s what I did”
Both teams got outstanding pitching in this game as both pitchers went the distance. Maddie Vollmer who got the win gave up nine hits in the game, but every time Goldey threatened she was able to pitch out of the situation. She ended the game with three strikeouts while only walking one.
As for Goldey-Beacom pitcher Caitlyn Burch was nothing short of spectacular. She threw a no-hitter in the losers bracket final against SNHU. Then went on to throw seven more scoreless innings in the same day in the win over Wilmington. Burch’s first earned run in twenty plus innings came in the 1-0 loss in the winners bracket final. Lightning head Coach Julie Greep said about Burch’s performance “She’s incredible. She’s a workhorse. I call her Dog. I think this was the opportunity she was looking for when she came here.”
Goldey-Beacom defeated Wilmington the night before when they won on a walkoff of their own. The Lightning scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to take a 3-2 victory and force the winner take all championship game. Goldey and Wilmington faced each other 7 times this season with Wilmington taking 6 out of the 7 but a majority of them were settled by 1 run. However none were more important than the 1-0 victory to capture the NCAA Eastern Regional.
The Wildcats 1-0 victory advances them to the NCAA Division II Super Regional. They will play the No. 1 seed Pace May 15th at Pace with a start time of noon. If you can’t make the trip here is a link to watch the game LIVE. Best of luck to the Wildcats!
