MERION STATION, Pa.—Junior starting pitcher Sara Kennedy (Newtown, Conn.) had a career-high nine strikeouts and combined with senior Paige Rauch (Windsor, N.Y.) on a two-hit shutout as Villanova (2-6) blanked Saint Joseph's (1-4), 5-0 at the SJU Softball Field on Wednesday afternoon. Junior shortstop Megan Kern (Royersford, Pa.) and sophomore third baseman Chloe Smith (Sacramento, Calif.) each homered in the win.
 
Kennedy (1-3, 5.62 ERA) earned her first win of the season with a dominant outing. She allowed a leadoff infield single in the bottom of the first inning but struck out the next three batters to set a tone for the game. Kennedy later retired 10 consecutive batters beginning with the last out of the second inning and struck out the side in the bottom of the fourth. She surpassed her previous career high of six strikeouts with the second out of that inning.
 
It was a productive day for the Wildcats offense which totaled nine hits and drew four walks. Villanova led wire-to-wire, as Kern's solo home run with two outs in the top of the first inning was all the offense Kennedy and Rauch would need. Two runs in the third inning stretched the lead to 3-0 and Smith hit her first home run of the season to straightaway center field in the top of the fifth to close the scoring.
 
Rauch singled to right field to open the top of the third inning, Kern followed with an infield hit and sophomore designated player Ally Jones (Brielle, N.J.) singled with one away to load the bases. That brought junior catcher Ryan Henry (Ramsey, N.J.) to the plate and her run-scoring single to center brought home the second run of the game. Sophomore first baseman Victoria Sebastian (Ridgewood, N.J.) walked with the bases loaded later in the third inning to force in a run.
 
In the fifth inning, Henry singled to right with one away and Smith followed with a long two-run home run to put the game all but out of reach.
 
The only real jams Kennedy faced came in the first two innings. Sarah Ostaszewski advanced to second with nobody out in the home half of the first before Kennedy rattled off three straight punchouts. In the second inning, Lauren Pscolka was hit by a pitch with two outs and Jordan Hinkle walked before Kennedy got Nicole Bondoc on a swinging strikeout to end the frame.
 
Rauch allowed a one-out double to Taylor Marinelli in the bottom of the seventh inning but stranded her there with a pair of strikeouts to end the game.
 
Rauch, Kern, Henry and Smith all had two hits apiece for Villanova on a day when each of the first eight hitters in the batting order reached base safely at least once via a hit or a walk. The single by Jones in the third inning extended her current hitting streak to five games.
 
The first three home games of the season await the Wildcats this weekend as they face Hofstra for the second time in a week. Villanova split a doubleheader with the Pride on Sunday in Newark, N.J. This weekend's schedule features a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. on Saturday and a single game on Sunday at 12 p.m.