ORLANDO, Fla. – After hitting six home runs in four games at the Knights Classic, it would be easy to think that Villanova had exhausted its resources prior to its final game against Penn State. Unfortunately for the Nittany Lions, that was not the case.
 
The Wildcats blasted three over the wall on Feb. 16 en route to a 9-3 victory over Penn State. Villanova leaves Florida after going 3-2.
 
Chloe Smith got the scoring started for the Wildcats in the first inning. The freshman has been red hot to start the season and continued that by going 3-3 with one run, one home run and one RBI.
 
Just one inning later, Paige Rauch really broke things open with a three-run home run to center field. She would add an RBI single in the fourth, bringing Angela Giampolo in to score. Rauch was 2-3 against Penn State with two runs, one home run and four RBI. She was 8-16 with five runs, two doubles, three home runs and six RBI on the weekend.
 
However, the Wildcats were not done. After Penn State scored two runs in the sixth, Villanova answered with a four-run inning to make the score 9-2. Megan Kern got the RBI single to score Rauch and then shortly after, Julia DaCosta hit a two-run home run to bring her season total to three. Ally Jones netted her first collegiate RBI, bringing Sydney Hayes in to score.
 
Gabby Wenn got the start and responded with four strikeouts, four hits and one earned run in six innings of work. It was her first win of the season.
 
While Villanova is leaving the Sunshine State, it will not be for long. The Wildcats return to Florida next weekend for the Disney Citrus Classic in Kissimmee, Fla where they will face Clemson, Stetson, Morgan State, Oakland and Troy.