RICHMOND, Va. – Leading by as many as nine throughout Saturday, Villanova was able to withstand a sixth-inning Richmond surge to hold on for a 14-12 win at Pitt Field.

The 14 runs scored by Villanova (5-13-1) mark the most for the team since posting 16 over Saint Joseph's on April 3, 2021. Seven of the runs that Villanova scored over Richmond (12-7) came with two outs on the board.

Apart from that, the 'Cats recorded 16 hits with four of those being doubles, both going down as season-highs for the unit. Six Wildcats batted in runs, led by a four-RBI effort by Jack O'Reilly who was 2-for-3 at the plate with a double and a pair of walks. Chris Rotondo drove in three while Pat O'Neill and Joey Castellanos each brought in a pair.

Tyler Arella logged the win, his first of the season, going 3 2/3 innings, fanning three Richmond batters, spreading eight hits and five earned runs.

Christian Beal was into scoring position right away for Richmond on a lead-off double and groundout by Alden Mathes that advanced him to third. Dominic Toso sent a single up the middle to bring in Beal. With runners at first and third, Jake Elbeery sent a double to center, sending Toso and Jared Sprague-Lott home to make it a 3-0 Richmond lead.

Villanova came surging back in the top of the third on a SAC fly from Jack O'Reilly to moved Pat O'Neill to third and send Connor Hale home. In the next at-bat, Joey Castellanos singled up the middle to bring O'Neill around, making it a one-run game, 3-2. Later in the inning, Richmond built another two-run lead on a SAC fly to left by Andrew Papantonis sent Sprague-Lott across the plate for a 4-2 lead.

After back-to-back base knocks to open the fourth, a SAC bunt by AJ Hansen  sent Will Reiner and John Whooley to second and third with Hale being walked to load up the bases. Chris Rotondo extended his hitting streak to 18 games with a two-run single to right, allowing Reiner and Whooley to score and tie the game, 4-4. O'Neill pushed the 'Cats ahead by one on a groundout to second, moving Rotondo to second and bringing Hale home. Right after, O'Reilly used a single up the middle to score Rotondo with two outs on the board. A full count let Castellanos on board and shifting O'Reilly to second with the Spiders making a call to the bullpen to bring Brenden Argomaniz in for Brock Weirather. The two-out scoring continued for Villanova on a single to right by Cameron Hassert that scored O'Reilly, making it a 7-4 Wildcat lead.

A walk and a double to right put two Spiders in scoring position in the bottom of the fourth, setting up for a D.J. Pacheco SAC fly that scored Shane Gipson, cutting into the lead, 7-5.
The bats stayed hot for the 'Cats in the fifth with Hansen jamming a shot to left field. Hale double to right after him before O'Neill sent a single to right, bringing Hale around. O'Neill also made his way home on a double from O'Reilly, doubling up the Spiders, 10-5.

After coming into the game with two outs on the board in the fourth, Jonathan Cole ended a bases-loaded Richmond threat by striking out Pacheco to close out the fifth.

With the bases loaded on a pair of hit by pitches and a single, Richmond made another call to the pen, this time turning to Jake Michel. A passed ball sent Hansen and Reiner to second and third with Whooley swiping home for an 11-5 lead. Hale was subsequently walked before Rotondo reached after being hit by a pitch, bringing Reiner in with the bases still juiced. Another walk tacked on an additional run before an RBI single by Castellanos made it a 14-5 lead.

Richmond gained ground in the bottom of the sixth, starting with an Alden Mathes two-run homer to left, cutting the Villanova lead in half, 14-7. With the bases loaded after a single and a pair of walks, Johnny Hipsman hit a grand slam to right, to make it a 14-11 game.

Both sides left men on for the next two innings until the 'Cats went down in order to open the ninth, giving the Spiders one last chance to get within reach. All they could muster was scoring on a wild pitch before Devin Rivera struck Mathes out swinging and a Toso foul out to first ended it.

Richmond recorded 15 hits in the contest, led by a 2-for-four day for Hipsman with a team-high four RBI. Weirather recorded his first loss on the year, moving him to 3-1. He went 3 2/3 innings with eight hits allowed and seven earned runs while walking and striking out a trio of Wildcats.

Brandon Siegenthaler will get the start for Villanova in Sunday's series finale. That contest is slated to begin at noon.