Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Orlando, Fl. – Villanova Softball splits the first two games of the Citrus Blossom Classic.

Iowa
Villanova beat Big Ten's Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday afternoon.

Paige Rauch was a force to be reckoned with all game, on the mound and at the plate. She kept Iowa out of the hit column until the fourth inning. She finished with a stellar line of 7.0IP, 2H, 2R, 0ER, 3BB, 3K.

The Wildcats jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI double from Angela Giampolo that scored Kendall Ohman after she reached on a single.
Caroline Jones was able to rip a single to center which scored Giampolo from second.

Iowa struck back in the fifth inning as they got two runs off of Rauch, but Villanova quickly took the lead right back.

Rauch blasted a home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to give Villanova the lead right back and that is all she needed to finish the game on the mound. The Wildcats did add another run in the fifth as Lauren Hanna scored on an Iowa error.

The Hawkeyes were sent down in order in the seventh inning to seal head coach Bridget Orchard's first win at Villanova.
 
Missouri
Villanova fell to the Tigers 7-0 in their second game of the day.

Cassie Gasper got the starting nod for Missouri and took full advantage of it. She improved to 2-0 on the year pitching a complete game shutout against Villanova.

Paige Rauch, Delaney Switzer, and Becky Ducar got the lone hits for the Wildcats. Rauch also was able to draw a walk.

Anissa Amarillas was the started for Villanova. She gave up two runs in the first inning but settled down nicely in the second and third. Missouri was able to get three more off of her in the fourth, which made it a 5-0 game.

Kalee Smith gave the Wildcats two scoreless innings in relief of Amarillas. Freshman Sara Kennedy made her collegiate debut in the sixth inning of the game and gave up two runs, neither earned.

Villanova will be right back in action tomorrow as they take on LIU-Brooklyn at 11:00 A.M. and Stetson at 1:00 P.M.