PRINCETON, N.J.—Senior shortstop Megan Kern (Royersford, Pa.) had two clutch runs batted in and sophomore pitcher Caroline Pellicano (Norristown, Pa.) worked 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief as Villanova (10-17) came within a run of erasing a six-run deficit before ultimately falling by a final score of 6-5 to Princeton (9-9) at the Princeton Softball Stadium at Strubing Field on Wednesday afternoon. Despite trailing 6-0 when they came to bat in the fourth inning, the Wildcats scored five unanswered runs over the next three frames while getting the potential tying and go-ahead runs into scoring position in the sixth inning.
 
Kern went 2-for-4 with two RBI and Villanova drew seven walks to go along with its six hits in the game. Junior third baseman Chloe Smith (Sacramento, Calif.) and graduate first baseman Paige Rauch (Windsor, N.Y.) each singled, walked and scored a run at the top of the lineup and freshman offensive player Kelsey White (Taunton, Mass.) was on base three times with a single and two walks. The comeback effort for the Wildcats began with a single run in the top of the fourth and gained some steam with two runs apiece in the fifth and sixth innings.
 
Earlier in the game the Tigers plated five runs in the home half of the second to take an early lead, while another run scored with one out in the third inning to put Villanova into a 6-0 deficit. Pellicano entered the game with a runner at first and one out in the third inning; she worked around a stolen base and a groundout which advanced the runner to third with two away by getting a groundball to second base to end the inning without any further damage. Pellicano wound up scattering just three hits while walking none and striking out two over 3 2/3 innings. The versatile member of the Wildcats pitching staff lowered her ERA to 1.12 on the year spanning 25.0 innings pitched across two starts and eight relief outings.
 
White drew a leadoff walk in the fourth inning and freshman pinch runner Alexa Raphael (West Caldwell, N.J.) stole second ahead of a double off the bat of sophomore right fielder Tess Cites (Horseheads, N.Y.). Senior catcher Ryan Henry (Ramsey, N.J.) grounded out to bring home Raphael with the first Villanova run of the day.
 
In the fifth inning Rauch walked on four pitches with one away and Kern brought her around to score with her seventh double of the year on a line drive into the gap in right-center. Freshman pinch runner Elaina Wagner (Fishkill, N.Y.) entered for Kern and eventually scored on a wild pitch after White beat out an infield single.
 
Still trailing 6-3 in the top of the sixth inning, the Wildcats loaded the bases with one out on consecutive walks to junior left fielder Dani Dabroski (Cedar Grove, N.J.) and Smith ahead of Rauch's single through the right side. Kern singled through the left side to drive in Dabroski and pull Villanova to within 6-4, but White popped up to short for the second out of the inning. After a wild pitch allowed Smith to score with Rauch and Kern moving up to third and second, respectively, Princeton starting pitcher Molly Chambers (1-1, 8.72 ERA) reentered the game for reliever Meghan Harrington and got Cites to ground out to end the inning.
 
Freshman second baseman Ava Franz (Aston, Pa.) reached on an error with one out in the seventh inning to once again put the tying run on base before Chambers retired the final two batters of the game to close out the narrowest of wins.
 
White (3-6, 3.95 ERA) started in the circle and allowed two earned runs in one-plus innings of work. She gave up three hits in the bottom of the first inning but escaped the inning unscathed after there were runners at second and third with nobody out. Allison Ha struck out and Sophia Marsalo reached on a fielder's choice when she hit a hard shot down the third base line which Smith gloved and then tagged out lead runner Serana Starks for the second out. Grace Jackson worked the count fill against White and singled back up the middle, but senior center fielder Sydney Hayes (Douglassville, Pa.) charged the ball and came up throwing to get Adrienne Chang at the plate trying to score from second on the base hit. It was the sixth outfield assist and fifth runner thrown out at the plate this season by Hayes.
 
Villanova is back at home this weekend to play a three-game BIG EAST series against St. John's. The series opens with a single game on Friday at 3 p.m.