May 2, 2004
Final Stats
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Kari Koller's two-out, two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning gave the Villanova softball team a come-from-behind 6-5 victory in the nightcap of a Big East doubleheader at Seton Hall on Sunday. The win helped the Wildcats avoid a weekend sweep, and clinched VU's fifth consecutive trip to the Big East Tournament.
The Wildcats had dropped a doubleheader to St. John's on Saturday. Notre Dame has also wrapped up a bid to this year's tournament in Syracuse, N.Y. from May 13-15.
'Nova lost game one, 3-0, and fell behind 4-0 after three innings in game two against the Pirates. The Hall banged out 11 hits off Villanova ace Shannon Williams, but the 'Cats clawed back. Kristen Strait plated two runs with a fourth inning base hit off starter Jessica Jones.
Villanova had the unenviable task of completing its comeback with Michelle Meyer on the mound to start the fifth inning. She entered the game with a 20-5 record on the season after a game one three-hit shutout. But the Wildcats took advantage of three Seton Hall errors in the fifth to score two more runs and even the score.
Laura Taylor's home run in the bottom of the inning gave the Pirates a 5-4 lead, and it looked as if the game was well in hand, as Meyer set down the Wildcats in order in the sixth and got the leadoff hitter out in the seventh. But Robin Flier reached on an infield single, and after Allie Wisniewski struck out, Koller came up and blasted her eighth home run of the season to right-center field. The runs were the first off Meyer in 33 1/3 innings.
Villanova's record is now 30-21 overall, and the Wildcats finish the Big East regular season with a 12-8 mark. Seton Hall is 38-16 and 9-7 in the league.
Williams earned the victory, her 20th of the year, with a complete game effort in game two, allowing five runs (three earned). Kristen Haynes fell to 10-10 in losing game one, giving up a three-run home run to D'arcy Djakalovic in the third. Her first round-tripper of the season was just out of the reach of Wildcat centerfielder Krissy Yauch.
Offensively, Koller led the way by going 3-for-6 with the home run, two runs scored and two runs batted in.
Villanova will now break for final exams, and returns to the field on Sunday, May 9 for a doubleheader at Maryland at 12:00 p.m.
