CARY, N.C. – The D'Youville University baseball team was defeated by Wilmington University (Del.) by a score of 4-3 in the final game of their trip to Cary.
 
The Saints got on the board in their first turn at bat, as a walk drawn by sophomore Kevin Del Vecchio (Niagara Falls, Ontario) and a single from redshirt junior Jake Hollins (Orchard Park, N.Y.) set up a sacrifice fly from junior Billy Morris (Lancaster, N.Y.) to make it 1-0. Morris also got the start on the mound for DYU and put up a scoreless frame in the bottom of the first despite the leadoff man reaching base.
 
In the bottom of the second, Wilmington put their leadoff man on base again, but Morris retired the next three batters to keep it 1-0 Saints. In the top of the third, senior Dillon Crook (Liverpool, N.Y.) led off the inning with a double down the left field line. Del Vecchio laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Crook to third and Hollins drove him in with a base hit into right to make it 2-0 DYU.
 
A two-out triple gave Wilmington a chance to cut into the Saints' lead, but Morris struck out the next batter to end the threat. In the bottom of the fifth, Wilmington threatened again, putting runners on second and third with one out, but Morris came up with a strikeout and a lineout to hold the Wildcats at bay.
 
Wilmington got on the board in the bottom of the sixth, after a single and an error set up an RBI single to trim DYU's lead to 2-1. Morris averted further damage, though, inducing a popout and a strikeout to end the inning. In the top of the seventh, the Saints tried to get that run back after redshirt sophomore Michael Huff II (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) singled with two away, but they were unable to bring him in.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Wilmington ripped a pair of doubles to tie the game at 2-2 with two outs in the inning and chase Morris from the game. Junior Blaise Kolbert (Lancaster, N.Y.) replaced Morris and kept the score tied going into the eighth. Del Vecchio walked to lead off the top of the eighth but was thrown trying to steal second. Hollins and Morris both drew walks to give DYU a runner in scoring position with one away. However, a double play put an end to the scoring chance and the game remained tied at 2-2.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, a double, a walk, and a single loaded the bases with one out, but Kolbert was able to induce a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. Redshirt sophomore Cooper Cefaratti (Williamsville, N.Y.) led off the top of the ninth with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch, setting up a pinch-hit go-ahead double from junior Garett Wilson (Webster, N.Y.) to put the Saints in front 3-2. After Wilmington loaded the bases to begin the bottom of the ninth, Kolbert got a popout and a strikeout to put DYU an out away from victory. However, the Wildcats dropped a single into right center field that brought in two runs and gave them the 4-3 win.
 
With the loss, D'Youville falls to 2-6. They will head back up north to play a four-game set with Goldey-Beacom College, beginning on Friday at 3:00 p.m.