LYNCHBURG, Va.—Two home runs which were hit back-to-back in the top of the second inning were part of an early surge for Notre Dame (5-5) as Villanova (0-3) fell by a final score of 8-0 in the Liberty Softball Classic on Saturday afternoon. The game was the first of two on the day for the Wildcats, who were set to get underway against the host Flames at 2:45 p.m. at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium.
 
Senior second baseman Angela Giampolo (East Windsor, N.J.) and junior shortstop Megan Kern (Royersford, Pa.) each doubled for Villanova, which had four hits in the contest. Sophomore third baseman Chloe Smith (Sacramento, Calif.) and freshman right fielder Brooklyn Ostrowski (Port Chester, N.Y.) also had hits for the Wildcats. 
 
Villanova played as the home team for the first time in its three games this weekend and fell behind 2-0 in the first inning when the Fighting Irish strung back-to-back hits together to lead off the game and later saw a second run score on a wild pitch. After an infield single opened the second inning, a pair of home runs extended the Notre Dame advantage to 5-0. The Irish later added three runs in the top of the fourth. 
 
Freshman pitchers Alyssa Seidler (West Babylon, N.Y.) and Caroline Pellicano (Norristown, Pa.) each made their pitching debuts for the Wildcats in the game. Pellicano entered for the top of the fifth inning and induced a 6-6-3 double play to wrap up a scoreless frame. Junior Sara Kennedy (Newtown, Conn.) also pitched for Villanova and worked three innings.
 
The best scoring chances for the Wildcats came in the first and fifth innings when Giampolo and Kern respectively led off those innings with doubles. Giampolo, who recorded the 23^rd double of her career, drilled a shot off the top of the left field fence in her first plate appearance of the game. Two pitchers for Notre Dame worked out of each of those innings unscathed however, combining on a four-hitter with no walks and six strikeouts.