Lady Wildcats pour on the runs to win two

By: 
Brent Sumner
Staff Writer

    Wilmington needed an extra inning to get a win Friday, as they secured a softball victory over Sandwich, 7-5.
    The two teams were pitted in a close battle when Sandwich tied the game 5-5 in the seventh inning with one run.
    The Lady Wildcats (4-3 overall, 1-0 conference) headed into the top of the eighth inning, and would record two go-ahead runs to secure the win.
    Kiley Sowa got thing started with a single, but was eventually thrown out on a fielder’s choice after Lorri Kucharski picked up a single.
    Jenny Kucharksi followed up with a hard groundball to right field, as Wilmington put two runners on base.
    With two on and two outs, Katie Kucharski came up big with a rocket line drive to center field. She wound up with a two-run  triple to give Wilmington the eventual game winning lead.
    Katie Kucharski led the offense on the day, going 4-for-5 from the plate with two RBIs and one run scored.
    Lorri Kucharski added three hits, while Bella Egizio and Emma Hafner both had two hits with one run scored each.
    Justine Reents had one hit for two RBIs, and Jenny Kucharski added one hit for one run scored.
    In the pitcher’s circle, Lorri Kucharski got the start, putting in five innings of work. She let up four runs (three earned) off eight hits, walked two and struck out five.
    Reents secured the win in the circle pitching the remaining three innings. She let up just one unearned run off one hit, walked none and struck out four.
    Wilmington’s game on the road against Manteno on Monday was suspended, and will be made up on Wednesday.
    The Lady Wildcats hosted the Panthers on Tuesday, and will resume conference action on Thursday against Lisle.
Wilmington 16,
St. Anne 8

    The Lady Wildcats won last Tuesday in a back-and-forth battle against St. Anne.
    The opposition took the initial lead in the top of the first, recording two runs, but Wilmington would come swinging back in the bottom of the frame.
    The Lady Wildcats recorded four runs in the first, to take the lead, but St. Anne tied the game up in the top of the second, 4-4.
    From then on though, the rest of the game belonged to Wilmington.
    The Lady Wildcats added three runs in the second, two in the third, three in the fourth, and four more insurance runs in the sixth.
    St. Anne recorded four more runs down the stretch, but it wouldn’t be enough to close the gap, as Wilmington picked up the win.
    Egizio had a big day at the plate to lead the offense, going 4-for-4 with one triple. She drove in one RBI and scored three runs.
    Lorri Kucharski, Jenny Kucharski, Katie Kucharski and Mickaela Tworek all added two hits on the day.
    Lorri had two doubles, while Katie, Jenny and Mickaela also added one double each.
    Hafner, Sowa, Ava Narine and Molly Beckman each added one hit in the game.
    Despite having five errors in the field, some quality pitching from Reents and Lorri Kucharski helped keep the team in the driver’s seat.
    Reents put in five innings of work to pick up the win, as she surrendered eight earned runs off 10 hits, walked five and struck out three.
    Lorri came on for the remaining two innings, letting up just one hit and striking out one.