RICHMOND, Va. – Facing a one-run deficit in the eighth inning, Villanova used an RBI double and capitalized on three wild pitches to surge ahead to a 7-4 win over Richmond on Friday afternoon at Pitt Field.

Villanova (4-13-1) plated four runs in the eighth inning after finding itself tied or within a run for most of the contest. Both Chris Rotondo had a big day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a lead-off homer to start the game and a pair of walks, extending his hitting streak to 17 consecutive games. He also proved to be monumental in the field, robbing a Richmond (12-5) home run at the wall to preserve the Villanova lead late.

Danny Wilkinson picked up his second win of the year, going 2 2/3 innings with two hits allowed, no runs and fanning four. The Villanova defense worked to keep the Spiders at bay once on base. Despite recording 13 hits, the Spiders left 14 stranded on base, the most of any Villanova opponent this season.

The win ends Villanova's five-game winless streak.

Rotondo jammed a leadoff blast to right center on the first pitch he saw for his fifth homer of the season. Two batters later, Jack O'Reily hit a double to center with Joey Castellanos sending a single up the middle to bring O'Reilly in, making it a 2-0 advantage for the 'Cats.

With runners on the corners after back-to-back singles to right by Christian Beal and Alden Mathes, Dominic Toso sent a long shot to center field, pushing the Spiders ahead, 3-2 with no outs on the board.

The Wildcats brought it back even 3-3 in the top of the second after a pair of walks got Will Reiner and Rotondo on base. With Reiner on second after advancing on a SAC bunt earlier, Pat O'Neill singled up the middle to bring Reiner around.

Richmond took the lead back in the bottom of the fourth on a throwing error that brought in D.J. Pacheco from third, making it 4-3.

The lead stayed Richmond's way with both teams putting up zeros for the next three innings. Wilkinson came in to pitch for Villanova to start the seventh, closing the book on Cole Patten's day. He scattered 11 hits with three earned runs, sitting down six batters. Wilkinson struck out the final two Spiders he saw in his first frame, sending the 'Cats up to bat for some late-game heroics.

Castellanos opened the eighth with a single to left before advancing to second on a SAC bunt by Cameron Hassert. John Whooley doubled down the left field line, bringing Castellanos across to square the game, 4-4. Two of the next three batters got on base as AJ Hansen and Connor Hale were both walked, loading the bases for the Wildcats. A wild pitch from Josh Willitts sent the baserunners scrambling with Whooley touching home to give Villanova a 5-4 lead with runners in scoring position. The bases loaded up again right after with a full-count walk to Rotondo, forcing the Spiders to go to the bullpen and bring Rob Ready to the mound. Back-to-back wild pitches from Ready sent the Villanova base runners in motion with Hansen and Hale both scoring, pushing the lead to 7-4.

With an out on the board, Richmond's Mathes sent a long shot to center but it was robbed at the wall by a leaping Rotondo, keeping the three-run lead intact.

With the bases loaded and two outs on the board in the bottom of the ninth, Cameron Mathes came in for Wilkinson. The graduate pitcher took Pacheco to a 2-2 count, sending him swinging for the final out, leaving the bases loaded for the second time in the game.

Toso was 2-for-5 for Richmond, driving in all four of its runs in the defeat. Willitts recorded the loss for the Spiders with four earned runs in his lone inning of action, allowing two hits, walking four and striking out two.

The series continues on Saturday with first pitch slated at 1 p.m. as Tyler Arella takes to the mound for the Wildcats.