NEWARK, Del. – It took extra innings to get there, but Villanova softball picked up its eighth straight victory with a 5-1 win over Delaware in the opening game of Sunday's doubleheader.
Lilly St. Jean provided the spark for Villanova (16-13, 5-1 BIG EAST), as the freshman shortstop delivered two hits and two RBI, including a bases-clearing double in the ninth inning for the game winning runs. Sydney Hayes totaled a triple and an RBI while scoring the only run of regulation for Villanova.
Peyton Schnackenberg picked up the win for the Wildcats, throwing the final two frames and surrendering just one hit to get her fourth victory of the year. Kelsey White tossed four innings as the starter for Villanova, allowing just one run and inducing 10 batted-ball outs in her time in the circle. Caroline Pellicano provided three stanzas of scoreless relief for the Wildcats, striking out three.
With just one out in the second inning, Delaware threatened to break the scoreless tie when the Blue Hens loaded the bases. But the Villanova defense got White out of the jam, with Chloe Smith fielding a grounder, stepping on third base and tossing across the diamond where Victoria Sebastian went into her signature split to complete the double play.
Delaware finally broke through in the fourth inning, with a leadoff double and a two-out single bringing a run across and putting UD up 1-0.
It wouldn't take long for the Wildcats to level the ballgame, as Hayes led off the fifth frame with an opposite-field triple over the head of the right fielder. Tess Cites came up with one out and sent the ball back to the pitcher, and Hayes utilized her speed and slid around the tag to make the score 1-1.
Pellicano surrendered a leadoff single in the first batter she faced, but proceeded to strike out the number one and two hitters in the UD order. After a walk and a hit-by-pitch to load the bases, the junior got a flyball to left field to keep the score even.
Villanova pinch hit for Pellicano in the eighth stanza, so it was Schnackenberg that went to the circle for the ninth. A leadoff single put a batter on, then a sacrifice bunt and an error got runners on the corners. But Schnackenberg bounced back by striking out the next hitter, then forcing a groundout to keep the game alive.
The VU offense finally broke through in the ninth inning, as Ally Jones worked an eight-pitch walk to get a baserunner aboard. White then blooped a single over the head of the shortstop before St. Jean delivered for the 'Cats, blasting a two-RBI double over the outstretched arm of the left fielder to plate a pair.
Ryan Henry then belted a double into the gap in right-center field, scoring St. Jean. A wild pitch moved the runner up to third, then Hayes earned an RBI on a sacrifice fly to bring Villanova's advantage to four.
Schnackenberg then got three straight groundouts in the ninth, making two plays on her own to pick up the victory for Villanova.
UP NEXT: The Wildcats and Blue Hens will face each other in the second half of a doubleheader on Saturday, with the game beginning 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first matchup.
