VILLANOVA, Pa.—Junior third baseman Chloe Smith (Sacramento, Calif.) had two hits and three RBI as Villanova (9-15) rallied from an early three-run deficit to post a 4-3 win over Towson (7-13) in the second game of a doubleheader at the Villanova Softball Complex on Wednesday afternoon. Earlier in the day the visiting Tigers tallied a 4-3 win of their own in the first game. The win by the Wildcats in the nightcap snapped a four-game losing streak and was the team's first home win of the year.
 
A fast start saw Towson plate three runs in the top of the first inning and build an early lead for the second straight game. After that opening frame however, sophomore reliever Caroline Pellicano (Norristown, Pa.) and graduate Paige Rauch (Windsor, N.Y.) combined to pitch six scoreless innings as Villanova eventually tied the game and finally took their first lead of the day in the bottom of the fifth inning. Rauch and Smith combined to go 4-for-7 with three runs scored and all four of the Wildcats runs batted in at the top of the batting order.
 
Villanova got an unearned run back in the bottom of the first inning when Rauch and Smith each reached on errors to start the inning. The bases were eventually loaded with only one out in the bottom of the first after consecutive singles by freshman offensive player Kelsey White (Taunton, Mass.) and senior catcher Ryan Henry (Ramsey, N.J.). For the improbable third time of the afternoon though, a hard line drive by a Wildcats batter turned into a hard-luck double play when freshman shortstop Ava Franz (Aston, Pa.) drilled a ball right at shortstop Mackenzie Lake who snared the liner and doubled White off of second base to end the inning.
 
The two tying runs for Villanova each came around to score one inning later, however. Senior center fielder Sydney Hayes (Douglassville, Pa.) walked with one out in the home half of the second and Rauch scored her with two away on an RBI double down the left field line. Smith followed with a game-tying single to left off Towson starting pitcher Melissa Abrahamian (3-6, 5.47 ERA) which knotted the score at 3-3.
 
Pellicano took over in the circle for the Wildcats in the top of the second and pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings. She walked the first batter she faced in the second inning and gave up a single to leadoff hitter Nicole Kidwiler, but with runners at first and second and nobody out a sacrifice bunt attempt by Briana Ramirez led to Villanova throwing out the lead runner at third base. A wild pitch and a walk to Lake loaded the bases before Pellicano struck out cleanup hitter Sydni Byers and Chloe Poulich in succession to escape the jam and strand all three runners.
 
Beginning with the strikeout of Byers for the second out in the second inning, Pellicano retired nine of the final 10 batters she faced. She exited after recording the first out in the fifth inning and Rauch (5-4, 3.68 ERA) went the final 2 2/3 innings while scattering just three hits and striking out five to earn the win.
 
The combination of Rauch and Smith produced the go-ahead and eventual winning run for the Wildcats in the bottom of the fifth inning. Rauch walked on six pitches leading off the inning and Smith drove an 0-2 pitch to the wall in right-center field for an RBI double. Junior catcher Ally Jones (Brielle, N.J.) singled three baters later but Smith was thrown out at the plate trying to extend the newfound Villanova lead.
 
One run was enough for Rauch, who allowed a one-out single in the sixth inning and a two-out single in the top of the seventh before striking out Madyson Peters with a runner at first base to end the game. White was 2-for-3 to join Rauch and Smith with multi-hit contests and the Wildcats finished the doubleheader with 19 hits overall. Villanova went 19-for-55 (.345) on the afternoon in an encouraging day for a dangerous top-to-bottom lineup which has yet to fully break out this season.
 
Next up for the Wildcats is a home doubleheader on Saturday afternoon beginning at 12 p.m. against Delaware.