PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa.—Junior starting pitcher Gordon Graceffo (Cranford, N.J.) pitched the first complete game shutout by a Villanova (1-2) pitcher in just under two years and the Wildcats opened their home schedule with a 5-0 win over Hofstra (4-3) at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth on a cold Sunday afternoon. The game was the first of a doubleheader and the nightcap got underway at 2:25 p.m.
 
Graceffo (1-1, 1.13 ERA) needed just 96 pitches (70 strikes) to finish a five-hitter with seven strikeouts and no walks. He allowed only two runners to reach scoring position the entire game and retired the side in order in the second, fifth and ninth innings. After topping out at 94 on the radar guns during the game, Graceffo hit 91 on his final pitch of the eighth inning when he got Luke Napolitano on a swinging third strike to strand a runner at second base in what was still a 1-0 game at that point.
 
After a leadoff double to start the game, the Pride advanced the runner to third with two outs and Graceffo ended the inning with a called third strike. From that point on, the only Hofstra runner who advanced as far as second base was pinch runner Austin Hauck who was sacrificed to second base after a one-out single by Alex Sica in the top of the eighth inning. Earlier in the game Graceffo gave up a two-out single in the third inning and a leadoff infield hit in the fourth, but each of those innings ended with junior catcher Will Reiner (Madison, Conn.) throwing out a would-be base stealer at second.
 
The game was scoreless until the Wildcats manufactured a run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Senior first baseman Ryan Toohers (Florham Park, N.J.) batted with one out and popped a ball onto the left side of the infield which got lost in the sun and fell in for a fortunate hit. Lorusso hustled out of the batter's box on the play and wound up with a double. He advanced to third on a chopper to third for the second out, then scored when graduate transfer right fielder Nick Oar (Pleasant Hill, Calif.) popped up a ball just behind shortstop which also got lost in a high sky and fell in for an RBI single.
 
Senior second baseman Pat O'Neill (Eagleville, Pa.) was 4-for-4 with a run scored and Villanova produced 10 hits despite the cold temperatures. Eight of the nine batters in the Wildcats lineup reached base safely at least once via a hit or a walk.
 
In the bottom of the eighth inning, O'Neill singled to center and junior shortstop Dylan McNary (Jefferson, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to set the table for Villanova to add insurance runs to its 1-0 lead. O'Neill and McNary executed a successful double steal, and O'Neill wound up scoring from third when the throw to second base got away from the fielder covering the bag. That run made it 2-0, while senior center fielder Chris Rotondo (Redding, Conn.) delivered an RBI double with one out and sophomore left fielder Jack O'Reilly (Villanova, Pa.) followed with a run-scoring single. Sophomore designated hitter Lucas Latrenta (Greenwich, Conn.) closed the scoring with an infield RBI single with two away.
 
The complete game shutout for Graceffo was the first for a Wildcats pitcher since Jimmy Kingsbury pitched a one-hitter against La Salle on March 17, 2019. It was also the second career complete game for Graceffo, who pitched six innings in a 1-0 loss at Butler in a seven-inning game on May 5, 2019 during his freshman year. He threw 70 of his 96 pitches for strikes in the efficient effort on a day that was destined to favor the pitchers. Despite sunny skies and light winds, it was nevertheless a mere 33 degrees for first pitch at 11:04 a.m.
 
Hofstra starting pitcher Jack Jett (1-1, 0.47 ERA) scattered an earned run on five hits over six innings while walking two and striking out 10.