BOCA RATON, Fla. – Villanova softball split its opening day in Boca, taking down North Carolina and falling to Florida Atlantic on Friday at the FAU Softball Stadium.
Tess Cites and Lilly St. Jean both had strong starts to the Florida trip for Villanova (5-7), each totaling four hits on the day.
In the first matchup of the day, the 'Cats toppled the University of North Carolina by a score of 5-1. Four different players notched two hits in the contest for VU, including Cites, St. Jean, Ava Franz and Ally Jones, while Peyton Schnackenberg earned her second win of the season with a complete game on the mound.
Villanova started the scoring in that game in the second inning, as Chloe Smith hit a leadoff double and St. Jean doubled her in two batters later to put VU up 1-0.
The Wildcats added to their advantage in the fourth frame, with Franz knocking a leadoff single and St. Jean following that with a double. Dani Dabroski earned an RBI with a groundout, then Cites drove in St. Jean two pitches later. After a UNC pitching change, Ryan Henry singled to center field to score Cites, and VU went up 4-0.
Jones led off the sixth stanza with a bang, blasting the opening pitch of the inning to left center field for her first home run of the season.
The Tar Heels finally got on the board in the seventh, as two walks and a single brought UNC within striking distance. But with two on and nobody out, Schnackenberg got three straight outs and brought VU its fifth victory of the season.
Schnackenberg allowed just four hits and one run while striking out two in her 99 total pitches.
The day's second contest brought much less offense in the early going, as Kat Gallant was engaged in a pitching duel with FAU's Gabby Sacco. Gallant had a perfect game through the first eight batters before giving up her first hit.
Cites and St. Jean each totaled two hits and a walk in the matchup, although the 'Cats fell 5-2 to the host of this weekend's tournament.
Florida Atlantic got the scoring started in the fourth inning, as the Owls tallied three runs in the frame on four hits and an error.
Villanova struck back in the top half of the fifth, as Madison Ostrowski reached on a fielder's choice, then stole second before a Dabroski walk. Cites then singled to score Ostrowski and proceeded to steal second and trigger an error by the catcher that allowed Dabroski to score.
The Owls answered with multiple tallies to take a three-run lead, with a leadoff single, sacrifice bunt, wild pitch and another single bringing the first one across, then a double scoring the second.
After Caroline Pellicano threw a scoreless sixth inning, Villanova threatened in the final frame, but a double play and groundout ended the day.
UP NEXT: Villanova will have two contests in Boca Raton on Saturday, taking on Wisconsin in the afternoon then Boston College in the nightcap.
