AUBURN, Ala. – The Villanova softball program started its trip to the south in style, taking down the Dayton Flyers 3-2 on Friday afternoon.
Six different players recorded a base hit for Villanova (4-2), with the RBIs provided by Tess Cites and Victoria Sebastian (two).
Freshman Kat Gallant earned the win for VU after throwing 6.2 innings and allowing just six hits and two earned runs while striking out six. Junior Caroline Pellicano picked up the save, coming in for the final out of the contest.
It was a pitcher's duel for the first four innings, as neither squad could get a run across despite some dangerous situations for both sides.
But Brooklyn Ostrowski led off the fifth inning with a single, and Sebastian, who pinch ran for Ostrowski, stole second and reached third on a passed ball. With two outs, Cites came to bat and drove the pitch up the middle off the glove of the pitcher, scoring Sebastian and giving the Wildcats a 1-0 edge.
Kelsey White began the sixth with a single past the shortstop, which Ally Jones followed with a walk. Ava Franz put runners on the corners with a fielder's choice, which brought Sebastian to the dish. The left-hander lifted a line drive to the opposite field over the left fielder's head, clearing the bases and putting VU up 3-0.
Dayton got a couple back in its half of the sixth, using two doubles and a single to get a pair of runs across and bring the score to 3-2 heading into the closing frame.
After a scoreless top of the seventh for Villanova, the Flyers got a baserunner aboard and moved her to second with a sacrifice bunt.
After Gallant struck out the next hitter looking, Pellicano went to the hill to face Dayton's Emma Schutter, who was 3-for-3 with two doubles to that point. The junior from Norristown, Pa., got Schutter to pop out to shortstop, giving the 'Cats their fourth win of the season.
VU's victory marks the program's first ever win over Dayton.
NEXT UP: Villanova has one game remaining on Friday, as the 'Cats will take on No. 21 Auburn at 6:30 p.m. Eastern.
