VILLANOVA, Pa. – Villanova softball swept the series over Providence and clinched the No. 2 seed in the upcoming BIG EAST Tournament with a 10-4 victory over the Friars at the Villanova Softball Complex on Sunday.
The win also marked VU head coach Bridget Orchard's 900th career victory, 147 of which have come at the helm of the Villanova program.
The Wildcats trailed 4-1 after the top of the third, but scored nine unanswered runs to capture the contest by six. It was another well-balanced offensive effort from the 'Cats, scoring runs in every inning except the first.
Ava Franz put forth her first career four-hit game for Villanova (35-20, 18-6 BIG EAST), blasting three hits off the wall for two singles and a double as well as a solo home run with two runs and two RBI. Tess Cites and Victoria Sebastian each added a pair of hits and runs, while Ally Jones drove in two on multiple sacrifice flies and Dani Dabroski crossed the dish twice.
Caroline Pellicano received her fifth win of the season with a four-inning effort, while Peyton Schnackenberg tossed three frames and struck out two as the starter in the circle.
Following a scoreless first stanza, Providence put two on base to start the second inning with back-to-back errors on hard-hit balls getting two runners into scoring position. After a well-placed pitch from Schnackenberg earning a backwards K, a third mistake on the inning plated a PC runner as an errant throw brought the run across.
But Dabroski ended the frame for the 'Cats with a double play, charging in to snare the fly ball before gunning down the runner at third by multiple steps to keep the deficit to one.
It wouldn't take long for the Wildcats to tie up the game, as Franz leveled the score with one swing of the bat. The sophomore kept up her hot streak by blasting a solo shot to left field to lead off the home half of the second, getting her sixth home run in the last month.
The Friars snatched back the advantage in their next hacks, using back-to-back singles and a walk to load the bases. A sacrifice fly to center brought the first run home, then a two-out base knock allowed the other two to cross and granted PC a 4-1 edge.
The 'Cats answered with their ensuing chance, as Dabroski walked before Cites singled through the right side to put runners on the corners. Chloe Smith brought Dabroski in on what would have been a groundout, but it bounced off the shortstop's glove and kept VU with two aboard.
Sebastian earned a four-pitch base on balls for her second walk of the afternoon, then Providence made a pitching change with the bases loaded. Jones did her job after the change, lifting the ball into left field for a sacrifice fly to score Cites.
But the throw home was cut off and PC tried to pick off Smith at second. However, the throw went over the infielder's head and flew to the wall, allowing Smith to come around and Sebastian to motor from first to home for a 5-4 VU advantage.
Franz nearly made it a two-homer day as the first pitch of her at bat was blasted off the top of the wall, but it was hit so hard that the Aston, Pennsylvania, native was held to a long, hard single and Villanova could not bring her around.
Dabroski reached on a bunt single to start the fourth, then Cites ripped a single up the middle to make it two aboard. Sebastian delivered for the Wildcats with a single through the right side, and Dabroski scored with no throw while Cites slid under the tag to get runners on the corners.
After a stolen base by Sebastian, Jones struck the ball high and well into left field but it was tracked down at the warning track for a second sacrifice fly by the catcher, bringing Villanova's edge to three.
Franz once again belted a pitch out to the wall, a second straight single off the fence before she was joined on base by a Kelsey White walk. Ryan Henry pinch hit for the 'Cats, lining a single past second base to plate Franz.
Dabroski drew another base on balls to load the bases, then Cites grounded a pitch to first base that allowed White to reach the dish for a 9-4 advantage.
Sebastian began the sixth with a ground-rule double to the left field corner, then Franz followed that with a scorching double off the wall for her fourth hit of the day, getting the lead up to 10-4.
Pellicano came back out for the final frame and worked through a trio of singles to deliver the series and two-seed clinching win for the 'Cats.
UP NEXT: The regular season is now complete for the Wildcats, who will compete in the BIG EAST Tournament in Storrs, Connecticut, from May 10-13. Villanova is the two seed, earning a first round bye then facing the winner of No. 3 Seton Hall and the No. 6 seed, which could be DePaul, Georgetown or St. John's depending on results the rest of Sunday.
