ATLANTA, Ga.—Junior Victoria Sebastian (Ridgewood, N.J.) drove in the go-ahead runs with a triple to right field in the bottom of the fifth inning and the bats broke out for Villanova (2-3) in a 7-5 win over Saint Joseph's (0-5) in the teams' final game at the Buzz Classic on Sunday morning. The top five spots in the batting order combined for nine hits and all seven runs batted in for the Wildcats as they wrapped up the opening weekend of the season at Shirley Clements Mewborn Field.
 
The game was the 65^th meeting all-time between Villanova and the Hawks but only the sixth in the all-time series to be played at a neutral site. It was a slugfest from the start, as each team plated three runs in the first inning and the Wildcats took a 5-3 lead through two frames. Saint Joseph's tied the game at 5-5 with two runs in the top of the fourth before Sebastian put Villanova in front to stay with her first runs batted in of the season in the fifth inning.
 
Senior Megan Kern (Royersford, Pa.) went 3-for-4 with two runs scored on the day while junior Ally Jones (Brielle, N.J.) had two hits and drove in three runs within the first two innings of the game. After the Wildcats fell behind 3-0 in the top of the first inning, Jones singled home a run in the bottom of the first and junior Chloe Smith (Sacramento, Calif.) followed with a two-run single to tie the game. Villanova never trailed again and wound up outhitting the Hawks, 11-9, in its strongest offensive output of the young season.
 
The improved depth of the Wildcats roster was evident throughout the weekend and two players who entered the game as substitutions on Sunday wound up playing key roles in the victory. Sebastian came in for defense at first base in the third inning and drove in the game-winning runs with her first career triple, while freshman pitcher Kelsey White (Taunton, Mass.) pitched three scoreless innings of relief to earn her first collegiate win.
 
White (1-0, 0.00 ERA) entered a tie game in the fifth inning and needed just nine pitches to induce three groundballs and retire the side in order. She scattered two singles and struck out four over the final two innings to finish a weekend in which she threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings over three appearances. White also stranded four inherited runners in her last two outings and held opposing batters to going 3-for-16 with no extra-base hits against her.
 
Villanova scored three runs on four hits in the bottom of the first inning to quickly tie the game after falling behind early. Graduate Angela Giampolo (East Windsor, N.J.) ripped a hard single through the left side with one out and Kern reached on an infield single to set the table with runners at first and second with one out. Jones hit a 1-0 pitch for an RBI single to center and the Wildcats wound up with runners at second and third on an errant throw to the plate. Smith was up next and drove a 2-1 pitch into the gap in left-center for a two-run single which knotted the score at 3-3.
 
In the bottom of the second inning graduate Paige Rauch (Windsor, N.Y.) and Kern each had infield singles ahead of a two-run double to right by Jones which put Villanova in front for the first time with a 5-3 score. It was the first time since the end of the season opener against Marshall on Friday afternoon that the Wildcats had the lead.
 
Kern singled up the middle to start the game-winning rally in the bottom of the fifth inning. Jones worked out a six-pitch walk and Sebastian fouled off a 2-2 pitch before lining the next offering into the right field corner to score the decisive runs.
 
The Hawks started quickly against Rauch with three runs in the first inning but were unable to retake the lead when they stranded the bases loaded in the top of the second. Rauch fanned Jordan Hinkle with runners at second and third and one out in the second inning, then got cleanup hitter Taylor Marinelli to bounce into a fielder's choice for the final out of the inning.
 
Villanova finished its first tournament of the season with a .262 batting average and a .363 on-base percentage over five games, an overall successful start to the year for a northern team which had not stepped foot onto an actual field until its season opener on Friday.
 
Coming up next week the Wildcats will play in the T-Mobile Tournament hosted by nationally-ranked Florida. The five-game stay at the tournament will feature one matchup with the host Gators, two games against former BIG EAST foe Louisville and single contests versus Duke and Florida A&M. The first game next weekend is a matchup with Louisville on Friday morning at 10:30 a.m.