PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. – Villanova rocketed a trio of moon shots over the outfield wall on Friday to take a convincing 13-3 win over Butler in BIG EAST action at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth.

This marked the second time this season that Villanova (10-15-1, 2-2 BIG EAST) launched three home runs in a game, the last time being in a 15-5 win at Delaware State on March 29. Graduate third baseman Joey Castellanos and graduate centerfielder Chris Rotondo drove in two and three runs, respectively, with their homers while junior first baseman Jack O'Reilly emptied the bases with a grand slam late with his first home run of the season. He is up to a team-high seven multi RBI games in this campaign.

Rotondo still leads the team with seven homers this season with Castellanos now at three and a team-high 11 game hitting streak.

Butler (14-16, 0-1 BIG EAST) pitchers walked Wildcats six times in the contest with five of those resulting in runs. Aside from the three home runs, the only other Villanova hit for extra bases came from junior second baseman AJ Hansen who were 2-for-4 with a double and single.

Senior Cole Patten and junior Danny Wilkinson combined for seven shutout innings on the hill after the Bulldogs got a run off of Patten in the first. Patten recorded the win to move to 2-4 on the year, pitching six innings with one run allowed on four hits, three walks and six strikeouts.

The Bulldogs smacked a pair of two-out singles to get runners on for Ryan O'Halloran who sent the first pitch he faced into right field, bringing a run across for an early 1-0 lead.

Back-to-back walks to open the bottom of the third put two 'Cats on for Rotondo. Facing an 0-1 count with no outs, the centerfield obliterated a shot over the centerfield wall to send Villanova ahead 3-1.

Some insurance came in the next inning as Freshman left fielder Connor Hale singled to right to send Hansen home from second to make it 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth. Butler got a runner on via an error in the bottom of the frame, but the chance was thwarted as Aaron Steinhart grounded into a double play.

Patten got out of a jam with two runners on and a pair of outs on the board, sending Lukas Galdoni down looking with his sixth and final strikeout of the day.

Villanova blew the game open in the bottom of the seventh with a five-run frame.

Graduate shortstop Pat O'Neill started the blitz with the bases loaded on a trio of walks. He sent a two-run single to right center to score Hale and freshman right fielder Shane Solari for a 6-1 lead. A wild pitch toward O'Reilly advanced O'Neill to second and scoring Rotondo. Castellanos put the exclamation point on the frame with a two-run bomb over the left field wall, extending the lead, 9-1.

More distance came in the eighth with a four-run inning for the 'Cats. With the bases loaded and two outs on the board, O'Reilly sent a bases-clearing jack over the left field wall to push the lead out to 13-1.

Graduate Jonathan Cole took to the mound in the final frame for Villanova, looking to close up shop. Butler got two runs back in the top of the ninth on an RBI single by Travis Holt and a Scott Jonas SAC fly to center, but it was too little, too late.

Villanova now trailed 8-14 in the all-time series with the Bulldogs, picking up its first home in in the series since April 10, 2016. The series continues on Saturday with a 1 p.m. first pitch from Plymouth Meeting. Graduate lefthander Tyler Arella is set to take the mound for the Wildcats.