CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Freshman second baseman Ava Franz (Aston, Pa.) hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the top of the sixth inning and Villanova (8-11) twice overcame deficits of three-plus runs in an 8-7 victory over Maryland (9-9) in the Queen City Classic at Sue M. Daughtridge Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Franz hit her first collegiate home run and junior catcher Ally Jones (Brielle, N.J.) homered twice for the Wildcats, who snapped a four-game losing streak and defeated the Terrapins for the first time in 10 tries.
 
Villanova trailed 4-0 after three innings and 7-4 when it came to bat in the top of the sixth, but each time fought back with the long ball and ultimately shut down the Maryland offense for the final two innings to close out the win. Jones got the Wildcats on the board with her third home run of the season, a solo shot in the fourth inning which trimmed the Terrapins early lead to 4-1. Her three-run shot in the fifth inning after consecutive two-out walks tied the game at 4-4.
 
Jones also had a double in the top of the second inning and finished the game with 10 total bases. It is the eighth such game in school history in which a game had 10 or more total bases in a single contest, with the last coming from Jones herself last season when she totaled 11 bases with a triple and two home runs at Seton Hall on May 1, 2021. Jones also became the sixth Villanova batter ever with at least two career multi-homer games.
 
After the Wildcats came all the way back to tie the game in the top of the fifth inning, Maryland scored three runs in the bottom half and went back in front by a 7-4 margin. The final answer from Villanova was a decisive one as freshman pitcher Kelsey White (Taunton, Mass.) singled home a run in the sixth inning and Franz followed by hitting the first home run of her collegiate career. She also walked and scored ahead of Jones' three-run shot one inning earlier.
 
White (3-4) pitched four innings of relief to earn her third win of the season and senior Sara Kennedy (Newtown, Conn.) closed out the game with two scoreless innings for her second save of the year. Kennedy is tied for 12^th place in school history in career relief appearances (33) as well as saves (four).
 
The final game of this weekend's Queen City Classic hosted by Charlotte is on Sunday morning at 9 a.m. when the Wildcats take on former BIG EAST foe Boston College. It will be just the second meeting between the teams since the Eagles departed the conference after the 2005 season. Villanova leads the all-time series 25-20.