STORRS, Conn. – Tyler Arella and the Villanova defense kept No. 15 UConn scoreless through seven innings with John Whooley providing two-out magic to drive in all four runs in a 4-1 victory on Saturday at Elliot Ballpark.

Villanova (15-19-1, 5-6) handed UConn (31-8, 7-1) its first BIG EAST loss of the season while also snapping the Huskies' 12-game winning streak. This is the first win that the Wildcats have seen in Storrs since 2008.

Arella pitched a season-high 7 1/3 innings in the win to move to 3-2 on the year. He allowed just one run on five hits, walking two and sitting down four. He is now one strikeout away from moving into the top 20 on Villanova's career strikeouts ledger. Danny Wilkinson closed the door with his second save of the season, tossing the final 1 2/3 innings, scattering two hits and fanning four. The junior now has 13 saves in his time with the Wildcats, standing alone at sixth on the program's career saves list.

At the dish, Whooley also had one of his best outings of the season. He went 2-for-2, reaching in each of his four trips to the plate with a walk and a hit by pitch. He drove in two runs with two outs on the board with both of his hits for a season-high four RBI day, the second of his career. Joey Castellanos and Jack O'Reilly also had two-hit days, going 2-for-4 with two runs and a run, respectively.

Two outs to start the contest were followed by back-to-back singles from O'Reilly and Castellanos. Whooley kept the two-out hitting alive with a double deep to the left field wall, scoring both base runners to make it a 2-0 lead early.
Arella and the Villanova defense sat the Huskies down in order in the first and second innings before Whooley broke out more two-out magic.

Pat O'Neill singled through the left side before moving to third on a Castellanos single that advanced him to third on an error by UConn's left fielder, Erik Stock. Whooley sent both runners in scoring position racing home with a sinker to center, giving the 'Cats a 4-0 advantage.

By the fourth inning, Arella had given up just two hits with two strikeouts, using seven pitches in the frame to sit down the Huskies. The Huskies threatened their next time up, getting runners on first and second with one out but another Arella strikeout and a fly out to center allowed the 'Cats to get out of the inning, leaving two stranded.

Each side left a man on through the sixth. Ben Huber reached first to open the bottom of the seventh on a throwing error from Castellanos. A fly out to center by Matt Donlan put an out on for the Villanova defense but the Wildcats quickly shut down any hopes the Huskies had of scoring their runner with a 5-4-3 double play.

Arella stayed on the mound for the Wildcats until the bottom of the eight with one out and one on after a lead-off single from David Smith and a groundout placed him at second. The 'Cats called on Wilkinson who struck out his first batter before Stock singled to left to score UConn's first run of the day. Wilkinson stopped any further damage with another strikeout, leading a runner on for a 4-1 contest heading into the ninth.

Villanova got a runner on thanks to a lead-off single to center from AJ Hansen but the Huskies turned a 6-4-3 double play to end a chance to extend the lead, sending Wilkinson and the 'Cats back out to close out the win. Wilkinson sent both of the first two Huskies down swinging before Donlan singled to left. Facing a 2-1 count, Christian Fedko grounded out to second, stranding a runner and handing Villanova the win.

Villanova batters were struck out nine times in the win. Pat Gallagher (6-3) accounted for eight of those with four runs, three earned, on six scattered hits.

Sunday's series-finale rubber match is set to start at 1:05 p.m. with Chic DeGaetano getting the starting nod on the hill.