WILMINGTON, DE- Caitlin McCann (San Mateo, CA/Notre Dame) (San Mateo, CA/Notre Dame) tossed a complete game in the opener as the Setters split their season opening series against Wilmington. Pace took the opener 4-2, while the Wildcats won in the second game 5-4. Both teams open their 2014 season at 1-1.
In the opener, freshman Nikole Larm (Brewster, NY/Brewster) (Brewster, NY/Brewster) blasted a solo homerun in her first collegiate at-bat to put the Setters up 1-0 in the second. Wilmington tied the game at one in the third.
The Setters tacked on two runs in the sixth and one more in the seventh to pull ahead 4-1. Hana Wright (Hillsboro, OR/Valley Catholic) (Hillsboro, OR/Valley Catholic) got her first RBI on the season with a single, while Rachael McMahon (Corona, CA/Esperanza) (Corona, CA/Esperanza) drew a bases loaded walk for the second run of the inning. In the seventh, freshman Shelby Yung (Upland, CA/Upland) (Upland, CA/Upland) singled with one out, stole second and eventually scored on a passed ball.
Wilmington added a run in the bottom of the seven but McCann shut the door to pick up the win. McCann (1-0) allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits, while striking out three to give the Setters their eighth straight season opening victory.
In the nightcap, the Wildcats struck first with two runs in the opening inning. The Setters capitalized on a pair of Wilmington errors in the second as Kimberly Duffy (North Babylon, NY/North Babylon) (North Babylon, NY/North Babylon) got the Setters on the board. Yung tied the game at one with an RBI single in the inning.
Pace took the lead in the third with a pair of runs as Natalie Gellos (Seattle, WA/Holy Names Academy) (Seattle, WA/Holy Names Academy) and Larm pulled off a double steal with Larm scoring to put the Setters up 3-2. Duffy drove in Pace's second run with a single later in the inning. The Wildcats rallied with a run in the third and two more in the fourth to pull ahead 5-4. The Setters were held off the board in the final four innings with only one runner reaching base.
Freshman Kaitlynn Nelson (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff) tossed a complete game, allowing five runs on four hits and struck out three as she falls to 0-1 on the season.
The Setters are off until their trip to the West Coast when they will take on Cal State Chico on Saturday, March 15 at 3 pm EDT.
