UNCW Advances to First CAA Championship Game in Program History with 4-2 Win Over Delaware
Hunter Peters
BOX SCORE | HIGHLIGHTS | PHOTO GALLERY | CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
ELON, N.C. (May 13, 2022) – Third-seeded UNCW advanced to its first CAA Championship game in program history following a 4-2 win over top-seeded Delaware in game five of the CAA Softball Championship presented by Primis.
UNCW improves to 31-13 this spring and awaits its counterpart in the CAA Championship game slotted for noon tomorrow, Saturday, May 14. Delaware falls to 29-15 after the setback and remains alive, facing the winner of No. 4 Elon and No. 5 Charleston in an elimination game at 3 p.m. this afternoon.
The Seahawks scored one run in each of the first three innings, which were enough for UNCW’s duo in the circle of Kara Hammock and Emily Winstead. Hammock (12-3) started the game, going 4.0 innings, scattering three hits and allowing just one earned run. Winstead tossed the final 3.0 innings allowing just one hit and one earned run while picking up the save.
Similar to yesterday, UNCW got off to a fast start, scratching across a run in the top of the first. Tayler Vitola led off the game with a single up the middle before stealing her 24th bag of the season, moving up to second. In the next at-bat, Janel Gamache lined out to the pitcher, but Vitola scored on two errors to give the Seahawks the 1-0 lead.
In the top of the second, the UNCW crowd erupted after a lead-off home run from Anna Knox doubled the Seahawk lead, 2-0. Knox squared around, showing bunt but pulled the hands back and launched the first pitch over the right-center wall.
UNCW’s run in the top of the third came courtesy of a Mackenzie Amodeo RBI single, extending the Seahawk advantage to 3-0. Janel Gamache led off the inning with a double, marking the third straight UNCW lead-off hitter to reach. Gamache advanced to third on a passed ball before scoring on the Amodeo hit.
Delaware got a run in the bottom of the fourth as Brittney Mendoza and Halle Kisamore hit back-to-back doubles with one out, cutting the deficit to 3-1. The following at-bat Kailey Christian flew out to center, and Camryn Dean gunned down Kisamore, attempting to tag at third, ending the Delaware threat.
UNCW made up the run in the top of the fifth as Janel Gamache reached on a one-out single before Morgan Britt scored Taylor Smith on an RBI triple, regaining the three-run margin 4-1.
The Blue Hens added a run in the bottom of the seventh but was unable to overcome the deficit falling 4-2. Kisamore recorded a leadoff double and advanced to third on a fly ball to center field. Julz Garber knocked in Kisamore with a sacrifice fly before a 5-3 putout ended the contest.
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