VILLANOVA, Pa.—A one-run lead after the first inning was nearly enough for Villanova (10-16) in the second game of a doubleheader before visiting Delaware (16-8) finally drew even in the top of the sixth and eventually dealt the Wildcats a 3-1 defeat in eight innings at the Villanova Softball Complex on Sunday afternoon. The teams split two games on Sunday, with Villanova posting a 2-0 shutout in the opening game earlier in the day.
 
Junior third baseman Chloe Smith (Sacramento, Calif.) and senior catcher Ryan Henry (Ramsey, N.J.) had two hits apiece for the Wildcats, who scored in the first inning for the second straight game but were turned aside from then on by Blue Hens freshman Graceyn Frost (7-2, 2.32 ERA) who went the distance in a five-hitter. Delaware got an RBI double from offensive player Kailey Christian with one out in the sixth inning and a go-ahead, two-run homer from cleanup hitter Brittney Mendoza with one out in the eighth.
 
Smith had extra-base hits in each of her first two at-bats, including a sinking liner to center field with one out in the bottom of the first inning that fell in front of Blue Hens center fielder Julz Garber and skipped past her all the way to the wall. Senior shortstop Megan Kern (Royersford, Pa.) then chopped a ball to third base which was bobbled for an error, giving Villanova runners at the corners with still just one away. On a double steal attempt with freshman right fielder Kelsey White (Taunton, Mass.) at the plate, Kern got into a rundown and was eventually thrown out on the basepaths while Smith scampered home to score the game's first run.
 
Just as the case had been in the first game, outstanding defense by the Wildcats kept the Blue Hens off the scoreboard in the early and middle innings. Villanova made two big plays behind sophomore starting pitcher Caroline Pellicano (Norristown, Pa.) in the top of the first inning to thwart a scoring threat which began with consecutive leadoff singles by Hanna Garber and Brooke Glanden.
 
Those hits brought Halle Kisamore to the plate with two on and nobody out, and she hit a hard line drive into left field that was still rising when junior left fielder Dani Dabroski (Cedar Grove, N.J.) reached over her head to make the catch. The runners were caught in between on the lineout and Dabroski alertly fired to second base to double off Garber as the lead runner. One batter later, a soft liner off the bat of Mendoza ricocheted off Pellicano and towards Smith who threw to first just in time for a 1-5-3 putout.
 
Senior pitcher Sara Kennedy (Newtown, Conn.) relieved Pellicano to start the third inning and went the rest of the way in the circle. After consecutive singles to open the top of the fourth inning, Kennedy (1-5, 4.51 ERA) caught Emily Blum's line drive bunt attempt and doubled Christian off first base. She made another strong play for the final out of the inning, grabbing Julz Garber's hard one-hopper in front of the circle and getting the third out of the inning at first base.
 
The outing for Kennedy was a better one than her final line would indicate, as she gave up just five hits and did not walk a batter over six innings of work. It was the longest outing of the season for the Wildcats veteran and she had little trouble navigating a dangerous Delaware lineup through the middle innings of the close contest. After the Blue Hens tied the game and had a runner in scoring position with one out in the sixth inning, Kennedy struck out Bailey White and got Blum to fly out to left-center field to end the scoring threat.
 
Villanova had chances to extend its lead after going ahead 1-0 in the first inning. Henry and junior center fielder Sydney Hayes (Douglassville, Pa.) had consecutive singles to lead off the bottom of the second inning before Frost retired each of the next three hitters to escape further trouble. The same two batters reached base to start the bottom of the fourth inning as Henry singled to right and Hayes was hit by a pitch. They were eventually stranded at second and third however, and Frost settled down over the second half of the game and wound up retiring the final 11 batters she faced.
 
Sunday's doubleheader was played one day later than scheduled as a Saturday afternoon twin-bill was postponed. Next up for the Wildcats is a midweek road game at Princeton this Wednesday at 3 p.m., followed by a home BIG EAST series against St. John's next weekend.