VILLANOVA, Pa.—Senior center fielder Sydney Hayes (Douglassville, Pa.) hit her first home run of the season in the bottom of the third inning but Villanova (8-13, 0-1 BIG EAST) fell by a 3-1 final score to Butler (13-7, 1-0 BIG EAST) in the first game of a doubleheader at the newly renovated Villanova Softball Complex on Friday afternoon. The visiting Bulldogs later won the nightcap, 6-0, as the teams played the first two contests of a three-game series to open conference play.
 
The updates made to the Wildcats home venue since the end of the 2021 season took center stage and did not disappoint as Villanova returned home for the first time this year after beginning the season with 20 straight road and neutral-site games. Artificial turf was installed in the outfield at the Villanova Softball Complex, while the infield surface was also replaced and features clay beneath the pitchers' circle and batters' box. Outfield wall padding with branded team graphics and other aesthetics around the facility complete the new look.
 
In an odd twist for a conference opponent, Butler had not played at the Villanova Softball Complex since 2016 as a result of a rained-out series in 2018 and the cancellation of the 2020 conference schedule. The first game of Friday's doubleheader was scoreless through two innings before the Bulldogs scored two runs in the top of the third inning.
 
Butler starting pitcher Karli Ricketts (8-1) had retired the first seven batters to face her when Hayes stepped into the box with one out in the home half of the third. Hayes got a hold of a 1-0 offering from Ricketts and drove it far over the fence in straightaway center field to get the Wildcats on the board and cut the Bulldogs lead in half. It was the seventh career home run and first this season for Hayes, whose career highlights include home runs in wins over San Diego State and No. 9 Florida State in 2020 when she was enjoying a breakout season as a sophomore.
 
Villanova trailed 3-1 when it came to bat in the bottom of the seventh inning but got the tying run to the plate with one out when senior shortstop Megan Kern (Royersford, Pa.) lined a hard single through the left side. Ricketts went the distance for Butler however, allowing just two hits and walking one while striking out eight in the complete game. A leadoff walk to sophomore right fielder Tess Cites (Horseheads, N.Y.) in the fifth inning accounted for the Wildcats only base runner aside from the two hits.
 
Graduate pitcher Paige Rauch (Windsor, N.Y.) worked the first three innings in the circle for Villanova and scattered three hits without allowing an earned run. She was replaced by freshman Kelsey White (Taunton, Mass.) who was charged with a run on four hits while striking out two over four innings of relief. White leads the team with 13 appearances this season and has allowed zero or one earned run in six of those outings.