WILMORE, Kentucky – The Wilmington College baseball team led 5-1 after three innings, but Asbury University chipped away and eventually won the game 7-6 on a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning in game one of a three-game series on Saturday.

The Fightin' Quakers opened the game with a two-out double from Jared Lammert that scored both Caleb Scott and Jesse Reliford in the first inning. Lammert would deliver another run for the visitors in the third as a sacrifice fly to right field scored Evan Kelsey. Dominic Depa, the very next batter, plated two runs with a double to left.

The Eagles opened the third inning with a solo home run, and added a run in the fifth and one in the sixth on two sacrifice flies. Another solo home run in the seventh pulled the hosts within a run, and Asbury tied it with a sacrifice bunt in the same inning. Wilmington would take advantage of an error in the eighth as Aaron Burns singled home an unearned run in the form of Zach Christensen to give the Quakers a 6-5 lead.

Walker Paris, who hit the home run in the eighth, opened the ninth inning with a single. Three consecutive walks followed, which tied the game 6-6 with the bases still loaded and no outs. The Quakers got one out on a fielder's choice, but a sacrifice fly to center field scored the game-winning run.

Luke Chappie, who entered the game in the eighth, took the loss allowing two earned runs and three walks and just a single hit in 1.2 innings pitched. David Ernst, WC's starter, allowed two earned runs with three strikeouts in five innings. AJ Wolf and Austin Christman each surrendered a single run and bridged the cap from Ernst to Chappie. Paris, Asbury's starter allowed five runs on eight hits while Holten Handel got the win in relief, pitching one inning. Tanner McKee also pitched an inning for the Eagles.

The top of Wilmington's lineup, Tyler Shaneyfelt and Kelsey both had two hits for the Quakers while Lammert and Depa combined for five RBIs in the middle of the order. Asbury, which scored all of its runs via the home run and sacrifice, was led by Paris with a 3-for-5 performance with a home run and two runs scored.

Wilmington (8-8) will play a doubleheader at Asbury tomorrow (Sunday) beginning at 1 p.m.