STORRS, Conn. – The Villanova Wildcats fell in their opening contest of the 2023 BIG EAST Softball Championship Presented By JEEP, suffering a 9-6 defeat to the Seton Hall Pirates on Thursday afternoon.
The 'Cats put up most of their runs in the first inning with four crossing the plate on three base knocks, then did not get another hit until Tess Cites belted a two-out home run in the seventh to tie up the game and send it into extras.
Cites led the way for Villanova (35-21) with two hits, two runs and two RBI, while Chloe Smith and Ally Jones each contributed a hit, run and RBI. Kelsey White received the loss after going 2.2 innings as the game's starting pitcher, while Caroline Pellicano (three scoreless innings), Kat Gallant (2.1 innings, two strikeouts) and Peyton Schnackenberg (one scoreless inning) all appeared in relief.
It was an active first inning as Seton Hall struck first in the contest, loading the bases with nobody out on a pair of hits and a walk before a double plated two. But White got out of the jam thanks to two impressive plays at third from Smith, keeping the deficit to 2-0.
Villanova answered right back, though, as Cites beat out an infield single and Ava Franz drew a walk to get two aboard. The veteran Smith smacked the first pitch of her at bat over the left fielder's head for an RBI double, putting two runners into scoring position.
Senior catcher Jones delivered for VU, singling through the left side to plate both runners and grant the 'Cats a one-run advantage. After Victoria Sebastian moved Jones up to third on a flyout, the Wildcats' backstop took home on a passed ball to pick up a 4-2 edge after one frame.
The Pirates made it a tie ballgame in the ensuing stanza, with a one-out single and wild pitch putting a runner in scoring position. It was an RBI double and a follow-up base knock making the game even at 4-4, and Sydney Hayes made a sliding grab in center to end any further threat.
Franz walked to lead off the bottom of the third and a Smith ground ball resulted in runners on the corners as it was booted by the shortstop.
Smith was gunned down trying to steal second and Jones struck out swinging, with a strange situation resulting in a near-15 minute review. Smith's steal was reviewed by Villanova and the call stood, then on Jones' final swing and miss, a ball flew into the field of play directly in Jones' line of sight during the third strike, but it stood as a strikeout and the 'Cats ended up scoreless in the inning.
Seton Hall created a 6-4 game with two outs in the fourth, using a one-out single and two-out walk to get runners on base before a double plated both.
Neither team scratched any runs across in the fifth or sixth as the Wildcats turned a pair of double plays with Pellicano on the hill, including a strike-em-out, throw-em-out twin bill.
After Pellicano shut down the Pirates in the top half of the seventh, the 'Cats were down to their final out with Brooklyn Ostrowski pinch hitting and drawing a four-pitch walk to give Villanova a chance. Dani Dabroski re-entered to run for Ostrowski, and that brought up the BIG EAST Player of the Year.
The Horseheads, N.Y., native delivered in a big way, blasting a two-run bomb into left center field to keep the Wildcats alive, tying the game at 6-6 and sending the game into extra innings.
White re-entered the circle and put forth a scoreless eighth, striking out two in the frame. The 'Cats went down in order during their hacks, sending the game into a ninth stanza.
Seton Hall re-gained the lead at that point, with a leadoff single and walk putting two aboard before a three-run blast gave the Pirates a 9-6 advantage.
Villanova put two balls deep into right field in their final hacks, then Lilly St. Jean sent one off the wall for a long single to keep VU's hopes alive. But a strikeout ended the game as a Wildcat loss and moved the 'Cats into the losers' bracket for the remainder of the tournament.
UP NEXT: The Wildcats will now participate in an elimination game on Thursday afternoon opposite the victor of tonight's St. John's-DePaul contest, with the winner continuing on in the conference tournament.
