Lady Wildcats pick up two wins, fall to Dwight

By: 
Brent Sumner
Staff Writer

    The Wilmington varsity softball team saw their record move back to .500 on the season last Friday, as they suffered a loss to Dwight, 6-1.
    The Lady Wildcats (2-2 overall) held the score close for most of the game, but the Trojans would secure four more runs in the seventh inning to wind up with the lopsided win.
    Lorri Kucharski pitched the first five innings of the game, giving up a two-run homer in the top of the first, where Dwight took the initial 2-0 lead.
    Kucharski wound up pitching the rest of her innings without giving up a run, as she finished with two strikeouts and four hits.
    Justine Reents hurled the remaining two innings, surrendering four runs (three earned) off five hits. She walked one and struck out two.
    Wilmington cut Dwight’s lead in half in the bottom of the sixth, when Bella Egizio wound up crossing the plate after hitting a triple.
    Kiley Sowa was the only other player to finish with a hit in the game, securing a single.
Wilmington 13,
Clifton Central 7

    A late rally was all the Lady Wildcats needed last Thursday to pick up a win over Clifton Central.
    Wilmington collected 21 hits to Clifton Central’s nine during the high-scoring affair.
    Clifton took the initial lead in the top of the first and second innings, accumulating four runs, but Wilmington eventually responded in the bottom of the second and third innings.
    The Lady Wildcats wound up knotting the game up at four in the bottom of the third, as Mickaela Tworek drove in one run with a single.
    The game would remain tied until the bottom of the sixth, where Wilmington exploded for nine more runs.
    Ava Narine helped break the tie, as she collected a single, driving in two runs to take the lead.
    Egizio and Lorri Kucharski led the offense, both going 4-for-5 at the plate.
    Egizio had a triple, two doubles and a single, along with two RBIs and two runs scored.
    Lorri Kucharski finished with a home run and three singles, scoring two runs.
    Jenny Kucharski and Kiley Sowa both added three singles for two runs scored in the game, while Emma Hafner, Reents, Narine, Tworek, Audrey Sinchak and Katie Kucharski all added hits and runs.
    In the pitcher’s circle, Reents earned the start, putting in five innings of work. She surrendered four runs (one earned) off four hits, walked two and struck out one.
    Katie Kucharski pitched the remaining two innings, picking up the win. She surrendered three earned runs off five hits, walked none and struck out two.
Wilmington 10,
Illinois Lutheran 0

    It didn’t take long for Wilmington to pick up their first win of the season last Tuesday as they defeated Illinois Lutheran in five innings.
    The Lady Wildcats collected eight hits and took advantage of three errors, as they scored two runs in the first, two in the second, three in the third and three more in the fourth inning.
    Jenny and Lorri Kucharski helped lead the offense, both going 2-for-2 at the plate.
    Together, they secured two home runs, one double and one single, as they accumulated three RBIs and three runs scored.
    Egizio, Reents, and Tworek also added singles in the game, while Mollie Beckman  earned a double.
    Lorri and Katie Kucharski combined in the pitcher’s circle for the win.
    Lorri got the start, putting in three innings of work. She surrendered just one hit and struck out two.
    Katie finished the final two innings, surrendering just one hit and one walk, while striking out one.