March 24, 2007

Box Score

Lawrenceville, N.J. - Villanova entered their third game of the day having split the first two and looking to leave the Rider University tournament with a good feeling heading into the upcoming week with BIG EAST play on the horizon. The Wildcats (13-8) got three runs in the third and a lone run in the fifth, which proved to be just enough to get by Monmouth (7-6), 4-3.

Sophomore pitcher Laura Determan (9-3) went the distance on the mound for Villanova, striking out ten while allowing six hits and three runs. It marked the fourth time she has reached double figures in strikeouts in a game and it was also her tenth complete game of the season as well.

Both teams went down quietly in the first two innings, but Lisa Curran changed all of that for the Wildcats in the bottom of the third inning. The junior led off the inning with her first home run of the season, a towering drive the opposite way to right center.

Two outs later, Cassie Koenig crushed her third home run of the day, also out to right center field and Villanova had a 2-0 lead. It was Koenig's third home run on the day after hitting two in the first game of the day against Rider.

But the `Cats were not done in the inning. Jessica Curtis followed Koenig with a double down the left field line. She would come around to score on Meghan Morese's RBI single and Villanova led 3-0.

Rider would plate a lone run in the top of the fifth inning on a leadoff home run from Jessica Nicola.

Villanova would respond with a run in the bottom of the frame on an RBI single off the bat of Sheri Donley.

That run would prove to be the difference, as Monmouth scored two in the top of the sixth to cut the lead to one, 4-3.

Monmouth would get a leadoff double from Candice Palumbo but was not able to advance after Determan induced a groundout and two flyouts to end the game.

With her three home runs on Saturday, Koenig is now tied for fourth on Villanova's career home runs list with 17. She is tied with Jill Karpinski, Megan O'Leary and Allie Wisciewski. Ricci Lugo is next on the list with 18 while Kari Koller sits in first place with 27.

The Wildcats' next opponent will be Towson University on Tuesday, March 27. The game will be played at Temple University's field at their Ambler Campus in Ambler, Pa with the first game starting at 2 PM.

NOTES
Kalya Felty logged the third stolen base of her career in the fourth inning...Four Wildcats have at least 10 RBI, but none of them have more than 11...three others have nine RBI...Jessica Curtis leads the team with 28 hits and is followed closely by Koenig with 27...The 28 hits this season by Curtis is three more than she had for her career entering this season...Six different batters have hit home runs for Villanova this year after Koenig, Curran and O'Boyle did so on Saturday