WILMINGTON– Sophomore Rachel Willis drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning as UNCW edged Robert Morris for a 3-2 victory at Boseman Field on Wednesday evening.
The Seahawks, who started a 17-game homestand, improved to 10-4-1 on the season while Robert Morris dropped to 3-12.
Willis went 1-for-3 with a run scored and her game-winning RBI double, while senior outfielder Merritt Wilkinson added her third home run of the season, a solo shot in the 10th inning that evened the score at 2-2.
Junior Sarah Davis improved to 5-1 on the season after pitching the 11th inning in relief of senior Peyton Jordan, who allowed two runs in 10 innings with seven strikeouts and just one walk.
After junior Kelsey Bryan reached base with a bunt single with one out in the 11th inning, Willis hit a double to score Bryan from first base for the one-run victory.
“Sometimes you just scratch out a win. The pitchers did a great job of keeping us in the ball game and Kelsey and Rachel did a good job of getting back-to-back hits to win the game.” said Coach Kristy Norton, “It wasn’t our best game, but we will take an extra-inning win.”
The teams combined to leave 23 runners on base. Robert Morris outhit UNCW by an 11-6 margin, five of the Seahawks’ six hits came in the extra innings. Robert Morris was 6-for-16 in two-out situations, Jordan and Davis forced the Colonials into 20 ground ball outs.
#SeahawkStats: Bryan appeared in the 100th game of her college career. Senior Lauren Moore has hit safely in five consecutive games. Jordan has now posted 36 strikeouts with just six walks while compiling a 0.74 earned run average in nine appearances. The Seahawks are now 1-2 in extra-inning games this season and upped their record to 5-1 at home. UNCW earned its first-ever win over Robert Morris in three meetings, UNCW improved to 8-1 this season when allowing two runs or less.
Up next for UNCW, the Seahawks will continue their 17-game homestand this weekend by welcoming Hampton, Siena and Youngstown State to Boseman Field for the Hampton Inn and Suites Seahawk Softball Invitational.
-Content provided by Eric Rhew, UNCW Department of Athletics
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