(WILMINGTON, Ohio) – The Wilmington College baseball team split their doubleheader against Franklin College Wednesday afternoon at Tewksbury-Delaney Field in a pair of seven inning contests. They dropped game one 9-8, before winning game two 10-0. The Quakers are now 10-21 overall this season.
Franklin defeats Wilmington, 9-8 (7 Innings)
The Grizzlies held a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth inning. Wilmington had runners in scoring position in the first and second innings before breaking through with a run in the fourth.
Dominic Depa doubled down the right field line to begin the inning before a walk, sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly brought him in and cut the lead to 2-1.
The Quakers took the lead in the bottom of the fifth on a
Dominic Depa grand slam to right field for a 5-2 advantage. The lead grew to 7-2 in the bottom of the sixth on an
Eli Hollingsworth two-RBI double down the left field line.
Franklin scored seven runs in the top of the seventh for a 9-7 lead. Wilmington loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the inning. An RBI
Braden Chambers fielder's choice cut the lead to 9-8, but a close double play ended the game.
Game One Notables
- Dominic Depa became the first Quaker to hit a grand slam, since Depa did so himself back on February 27th, 2022, against Mount St. Joseph University on the road.
- Depa led the team with three hits, four RBI, and three runs scored.
- Braden Chambers and Eli Hollingsworth both had two hits, two RBI, and one run scored.
- Max Gildea walked twice.
- JP Donelan threw five innings of six hit baseball on the mound, allowing two runs with only one earned, and struck out three Grizzlies.
- Quakers pitching had six strikeouts.
Wilmington defeats Franklin, 10-0 (7 Innings)
Neither team threatened to score in game two until the Quakers struck for six runs in the bottom of the third frame. After an out, three straight singles followed for a 1-0 lead. A walk loaded the bases for
James Crowe to hit a grand slam over the left field fence for a 5-0 advantage.
Gabe McDowell followed this with a homerun of his own off the left field foul pole for the 6-0 advantage.
The Quakers scored four more runs for a 10-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth. A double was followed by a
Kyle Jennings homerun over the left field fence.
Braden Chambers would later have an RBI ground out before a
JP Donelan single into center field scored Wilmington's final run of the game.
Game Two Notables
- Wilmington hit three homeruns in a game for the first time since March 12th, 2024, at Franklin College.
- James Crowe and Gabe McDowell's back-to-back homeruns are the first for Wilmington since at least 2009. These were the first collegiate homeruns for both players.
- Crowe had four RBI and Kyle Jennings had three.
- Crowe and McDowell both had three hits while J.C. Calhoun and Jennings both had two.
- Four Quakers scored two runs in the game.
- Max Gildea tossed Wilmington's first complete game of the season on the mound and the first for Wilmington since Zach Shepherd did so in a 9-inning contest vs. Capital University on April 19th, 2023. Gildea only allowed three hits while striking out three.
- This is Wilmington's fourth game scoring 10 or more runs this season and first since a 10-3 victory over SUNY Canton on March 13th.
What's Up Next
The Quakers host John Carroll University Saturday afternoon for a Senior Day doubleheader beginning at 1:00 P.M.
Wilmington split their doubleheader with the Blue Streaks last season in University Heights.
