WILMINGTON, NC -- Paige Wakefield hit a game-tying two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the seventh and UNC Wilmington scored twice in the bottom of the eighth as the Seahawks posted an 8-7 comeback victory over Delaware in the rubber match of the teams’ Colonial Athletic Association softball series Sunday afternoon at Boseman Field.

UNC Wilmington, which improved to 11-17-1 overall and 2-4 in the league, pounded out 20 hits in the game. The Blue Hens dropped to 14-11 overall and 1-5 in the conference.

The Seahawks took the early lead by pushing across a run in the bottom of the second inning. Morgan Walters led off the frame by singling up the middle, and she advanced to second when Rachael Sawyer followed with a single into leftfield. One out later Michelle Harrison singled to center to load the bases, and Walters then scored while Sawyer was forced out at third base when Paige Wakefield reached on a fielder’s choice.

However Delaware took control by scoring six runs in the top of the third. With one out Katie Lee reached on an error by Harrison at third base, and she advanced to third on a single to centerfield by Quinn Megargel. Barbara Traynor (at right) then singled to left to plate Lee with the tying run, and a single to center by Kim Ovittore loaded the bases.

Michelle Grap then worked a walk to force home Megargel, and Allison Borchers followed with a single through the left side to plate Traynor and give the Blue Hens a 3-1 lead. After Ovittore crossed the plate when Jessica Kozlowski reached on an error by Seahawks first baseman Lindsay Styons, Grap scored on a wild pitch by UNC Wilmington starting pitcher Brittney Lehrschall. Cecile Egan then hit a sacrifice fly to left, chasing home Borchers with Delaware’s sixth run of the inning.

The Seahawks began their comeback by scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Meghan Murray led off the frame with a single up the middle, and Charla Wacker followed with a single into center. Carley Hughes then doubled down the leftfield line to score Murray, and one out later Sawyer singled home Wacker to cut the Blue Hens’ lead to 6-3. Samantha Shawn then relieved starter Anne Marie Pagano in the circle for Delaware, and pinch runner Ashley Hill scored when Shawn got Styons to bounce into a fielder’s choice. Harrison then singled to center as the Seahawks put the tying runs on base, but Shawn struck out Wakefield swinging as UD held on to a 6-4 lead.

Sawyer opened the bottom of the seventh by lining a single into leftfield, but Shawn retired the next two Seahawks to bring Delaware one out from a victory. However Wakefield drilled a two-run homer to centerfield, tying the game at 6-6 and sending the game to extra innings.

The Blue Hens would answer right back in the top of the eighth inning, as pinch hitter Mary Ann Magee led off with a walk and was pinch run for by Amanda Nyisztor. Egan followed with a single into leftfield, and after the runners moved to second and third on a groundout by Katie DeSalvo, Nyisztor scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly to right by Lee.

However Wacker opened the bottom of the eighth against UD relief pitcher Michelle Kenney by reaching on a throwing error by Grap, and she advanced to second on an error by Megargel behind the plate. Hughes then singled into leftfield to plate Wacker with the tying run, and singles by Walters and Sawyer loaded the bases with nobody out. Styons then singled through the left side of the Blue Hen infield to drive home Hughes with the winning run.

Samantha Lisowsky picked up the victory and improved to 1-5 for the Seahawks after allowing one run on four hits in five and a third innings of relief. Kenney fell to 0-1 after giving up two runs, one earned, on four hits in the eighth inning for the Blue Hens. Pagano gave up four runs on 11 hits in 4.1 innings of work, while Shawn allowed two runs on five hits in 2.2 innings of relief.

Traynor finished 3 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI for Delaware, while Egan went 2 for 3 with an RBI and a double.

Delaware returns to action on Tuesday when the Blue Hens travel to Villanova for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.

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