OMAHA, Neb.—Senior shortstop Megan Kern (Royersford, Pa.) delivered the game-winning double with one out in the top of the eighth inning and Villanova (21-19, 9-4 BIG EAST) stretched its winning streak to seven games with a 7-5 victory over Creighton (14-19, 4-11 BIG EAST) at the Creighton Sports Complex on Friday afternoon. One streak continued and another was broken for the Wildcats, who are riding their longest win streak of the season and exorcised a string of eight straight losses in extra-inning games which dated back to the 2019 season. Villanova has won the first two games of this week's series with the Bluejays and moved into sole possession of second place in the BIG EAST standings pending the outcome of other league games later in the day.
 
Junior third baseman Chloe Smith (Sacramento, Calif.) led off the third inning with a solo home run which extended the Wildcats power burst to 11 straight games hitting at least one homer. Smith finished the day 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a walk, Kern and sophomore left fielder Tess Cites (Horseheads, N.Y.) had two hits apiece and graduate second baseman Angela Giampolo (East Windsor, N.J.) tied the game with a two-run double in the fifth inning after Creighton had taken its first lead of the series in the bottom of the fourth. The eight hits in the game for the Wildcats were only half of their baserunners; Villanova drew seven walks and had a hit batter as they continued to have constant traffic on the bases.
 
With the game hanging in the balance in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Bluejays had a chance to take the lead with runners at the corners and one out. Creighton attempted a suicide squeeze with cleanup hitter Kiara Mills at the plate, but she bunted through a pitch from freshman reliever Kelsey White (Taunton, Mass.) and Villanova eventually threw out the lead runner from third base on a 2-5-2 putout. Junior catcher Ally Jones (Brielle, N.J.) threw to Smith with Bluejays pinch runner Brittney Manthie backpedaling towards third, then Smith threw home and Jones chased Manthie down the third base line before making the tag for the second out. White (5-6, 3.33 ERA) eventually struck out Mills to end the inning and the scoring threat. Both teams went down in order in the seventh inning – the only 1-2-3 frames recorded by either team the entire day – to force extra innings.
 
Playing beyond seven innings for the fifth time this season, the Wildcats loaded the bases with one out in the top of the eighth against Creighton pitcher Alexis Wiggins (3-3, 4.91 ERA) who went the distance in a marathon effort in the circle. Freshman right fielder Alexa Raphael (West Caldwell, N.J.) opened the eighth inning with a single in her first plate appearance since March 27 and senior center fielder Sydney Hayes (Douglassville, Pa.) sacrificed her into scoring position. Cites was up next and battled Wiggins until she worked a seven-pitch walk, while Smith walked on four pitches to load the bases and graduate first baseman Paige Rauch (Windsor, N.Y.) drew a third straight free pass on five pitches to force in Raphael with the go-ahead run. Kern followed with a drive off the fence in left-center field for a two-run double which plated Cites and Smith with the eventual game-winning runs.
 
Sophomore reliever Caroline Pellicano (Norristown, Pa.) allowed a leadoff home run to Bluejays catcher Shayna Dahlen on the first pitch she threw upon entering the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. The home run was a mere blip on the radar however, as Pellicano efficiently retired the next three batters and struck out Cayla Nielsen to end the game and earn her first career save. White and Pellicano each made their 12^th relief appearances of the season and combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings pitched behind senior starter Sara Kennedy (Newtown, Conn.). White entered in the fourth inning and allowed an inherited runner to score before settling in and scattering four hits while walking two and striking out three in 3 1/3 innings. Kennedy pitched the first 3 2/3 innings and was charged with four runs (three earned) on six hits while walking two and striking out three. The only damage against her came in a four-run bottom of the fourth inning when Creighton sent nine batters to the plate and erased a 2-0 deficit.
 
Villanova struck first in a scoreless contest when Smith led off the third inning with her third home run of the season. All three have come during the team's seven-game winning streak and she is leading a deep Wildcats lineup with a .440 batting average during the streak and a .347 mark on the season. Villanova added another run in the top of the third after consecutive walks to Rauch and Kern followed by a passed ball put runners at second and third with nobody out. Jones grounded into an RBI fielder's choice which allowed Rauch to score the second run of the inning before Wiggins avoided further trouble.
 
Sam Alm singled and Alyssa Gappa walked to leadoff the bottom of the fourth inning and set the table for the Bluejays rally. Emma Rosonke doubled home Alm with the first Creighton run off Kennedy and Saren Croker tied the game with an RBI groundout. Rosonke later scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch over the outstretched glove of senior catcher Ryan Henry (Ramsey, N.J.) and Kailey Wilson doubled in the final run of the inning with White pitching.
 
The sudden deficit the Wildcats were facing did not last long. Kern singled with one out in the top of the fifth and was safe at second on a fielder's choice by Jones which put the tying runs aboard. Giampolo came up an hit an 0-1 pitch off the top of the fence in straightaway center field, scoring both runners easily and settling for a long double when the ball took a carom back into the field of play rather than over the fence for a home run. Wiggins induced a groundout with Henry batting and then struck out White to end the inning with the game still tied.
 
Villanova will go for the series sweep on Saturday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern time (12 p.m. Central).