Wilmington continues hot-hitting start with 22-5 win over Central

WILMINGTON − The runs have been coming in bunches so far this season for the Wilmington softball team. Heading into Wednesday’s home matchup against Central, the Wildcats had wins of 19-1, 18-0 and 20-0 under their belts already, with their lone loss coming in a 13-10 slugfest.

They continued their heavy-hitting ways Wednesday in a 22-5 win over Central, sealing the four-inning win with an 11-run fourth to improve to 4-1 on the season. Central, which had won its previous two games, fell to 3-3 with the loss.

The Comets got on the board first with a pair of runs in the top of the first, but Wilmington scored eight in the bottom of the inning. Central got three runs back in the second to tighten things up, but with three runs in the third and 11 in the fourth, Wilmington took back control. A three-run home run from Molly Southall with two outs it the fourth satisfied the run rule and walked it off for the Wildcats.

Wilmington head coach Jack Skole said he through his team did a good job on things they have been focusing on at the plate.

“We executed some plays that we’ve been working on,” he said. ”You want to see if we could do that in a game situation, from practice to the game. The girls were really on point today, paying attention and doing what we needed to do.”

Although they put plenty of balls in play, recording 13 hits and striking out just six times, the Wildcats were able to work 12 walks as well to help fuel their offensive success.

Central pitcher Sydney Jemar, who in the Comets’ previous game worked five perfect innings in a shutout win, had issued just six walks in 24 innings on the season entering Wednesday.

“In the first couple of innings, we played really well,” Central head coach Kelli Wieglus said. “We hit the ball, our pitcher did great. The umpire’s zone was pretty tight, but there’s nothing you can do. You just have to go through adversity.”

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Wilmington's Molly Southall round third base to score a run during the Wildcats' 22-5 victory over Central on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (Tiffany Blanchette)

For Wilmington, Southall’s home run was her first hit of the game after she walked in each of her first four plate appearances. She scored four runs in the game. Nina Egizio was 2 for 3 with a triple, a walk and three RBIs. She also scored three runs, one of which came on a steal of home.

Taylor Stefancic was 2 for 2 with three walks, four runs and an RBI. Taryn Gilbert was 2 for 2 with two walks, two RBIs and two runs while Ally Allgood was 2 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Gilbert also pitched two scoreless innings in relief of starter Lexi Strohm.

Southall, a North Carolina State commit, said that the team has been able to find the early success at the plate because they all have a next-batter-up approach.

“I just think that we all are able to rely on each other,” she said. “If one doesn’t produce, we just carry it on to other people and we just have each other’s backs.”

Central’s Anna Winkel went 2 for 3 with a double, two RBIs and two runs. Lia Prairie was 1 for 2 with two RBIs while Keira Donnelly was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run out of the leadoff spot.

Wieglus said that, despite Wednesday’s tough loss, it has been promising to see how her team has approached things early in the season.

“We’re ready to go and compete with some teams,” she said. “...I think this group can be the one that kind of turns our program around and gets some bigger wins. The aggression and the team bonding, they all get along and they all like each other, and that all helps in the long run.”

As Wilmington looks to keep their hot start to the season rolling, Skole said it is important they continue to focus on staying well-rounded at the plate for days when the runs don’t come as easily.

“Obviously we’re not going to score this many runs throughout the season, so we keep talking about when we need to get a bunt down, we get the bunt down,” he said. “They were executing that. When we need a hit and run, they were executing that.”