Pridemore, Basket Power Lawrence Tech Past Wilmington in Nightcap Win

VIERA WEST, Fla. — Lawrence Tech used a four-inning offensive surge and shutdown relief from Sarah Basket to defeat Wilmington College 7-4 on Sunday night in game two of a doubleheader.

Trailing 4-2 after two innings, the Blue Devils seized control with a three-run third, highlighted by a go-ahead two-run home run from Natilee Pridemore. Zoey Markey opened the frame with a triple, and Pridemore followed with the decisive blast as Lawrence Tech moved in front 5-4 and never trailed again.

Pridemore finished with a standout performance at the plate, going 3-for-? with two runs scored, a home run, a double and four RBI, accounting for more than half of Lawrence Tech’s run production. She first pulled the Blue Devils even in the bottom of the first inning, roping a two-run double to tie the score at 2-2 after Wilmington had jumped ahead early.

Wilmington did most of its damage in the opening two innings. In the first, Jocelyn Fran singled and Audrey Gilde drove in a run with a double before later scoring on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead. Fran then reached on a second-inning error that allowed two runs to score, pushing the Quakers in front 4-2 before Lawrence Tech’s offense answered.

Lawrence Tech’s rally continued in the middle innings. In the fourth, Jacqui LeBlanc tripled and came home on a sacrifice fly from Alyssa Bloomfield to extend the margin to 6-4. One inning later, pinch-hitter Delaney Monroe delivered a key insurance run with an RBI single to score Pridemore, capping the Blue Devils’ scoring at 7-4.

The Blue Devils’ offense was consistent throughout, totaling 14 hits, including three doubles, two triples and Pridemore’s home run. Monroe also contributed a productive game on both sides of the ball, collecting two hits, an RBI and a walk while working the first 3.0 innings in the circle. She allowed five hits and four runs (three earned) with one walk and one wild pitch.

Basket then took over in relief and silenced Wilmington’s lineup. The right-hander threw 3.2 scoreless innings, limiting the Quakers to one hit while striking out three on 51 pitches. Her effort helped Lawrence Tech hold Wilmington to just six hits overall and keep the Quakers off the board over the final five innings.

Gilde led Wilmington with a 2-for-3 effort that included a double, an RBI, two stolen bases and three effective innings of relief in the circle, but the Quakers could not answer Lawrence Tech’s sustained pressure at the plate. The Blue Devils stranded only four runners and played around a single defensive error to close out the doubleheader with a nightcap victory.