VILLANOVA, Pa. – It was another doubleheader sweep for Villanova softball on Friday afternoon, defeating the Georgetown Hoyas in both halves of a twin bill at the Villanova Softball Complex.
The offense came to play for Villanova (17-11, 8-0 BIG EAST) and the pitching surrendered just three total runs against the league foe, allowing the Wildcats to record their ninth straight victory.
The 8-0 record in conference play is already the best league start of the Bridget Orchard era and now marks the second best BIG EAST beginning in Villanova history, surpassing 7-0 in 2004 and trailing the 10-0 debut of 2001.
GAME ONE
Elaina Wagner scored twice with a pair of doubles in the 5-2 victory to increase her team-high hitting streak to seven. Grace Reed drove in a pair in a two-hit effort, including a two-run homer in the second inning, while Victoria Sebastian crossed the plate twice.
Alyssa Seidler picked up her team-high seventh win of the year with a four-strikeout, five-inning performance and just three hits allowed. Caroline Pellicano went the final two stanzas with a strikeout while facing nine batters.
After the sides traded scoreless frames in the opening inning, Seidler had to work out of a two-runner situation by knocking down a hard-hit ball hit to her left and tossing out the runner to keep it scoreless.
Villanova made them pay for the inability to capitalize, striking multiple times in the next frame. Wagner started the stanza with a double into right, moved up on a wild pitch and scored as Sebastian beat out an infield single to go up 1-0.
Reed expanded that advantage in a hurry, blasting the first strike of her AB to the deepest part of the park for a laser two-run bomb and 3-0 edge after two stanzas.
Wagner scorched a double to the wall in center for her second two-bagger of the day, then it was three straight walks to score the junior including the first career RBI for Maranda Runco.
A scoreless fourth followed from Seidler, then it was a third freshman coming through offensively as an Elizabeth Gray double down the line scored Sebastian and got VU a 5-0 edge.
Zeroes went up for both sides in each of the fifth and sixth before Georgetown finally got on the board with two down in the seventh inning on back-to-back RBI singles, but Pellicano got the final out for an eighth straight VU win.
GAME TWO
Gray continued her strong day with a 3-for-3 performance in the 7-1 game two win, driving in two and scoring twice with a triple on her ledger. Lilly St. Jean registered a pair of hits with two RBI while Tess Cites added a two-run homer and Ally Jones drew three walks in the contest.
Kelsey White went the distance in the victory, her fourth career complete game and first of the season. The junior surrendered just three hits while striking out four in her fourth win this year.
The Hoyas got on the board first with some small ball, using a hit by pitch to get a baserunner before a sac bunt and flyout moved the runner up to third and an infield single got her to the dish.
Villanova wasted no time striking back on a two-out rally during the home half of the second, St. Jean starting it out with a single up the middle and Sebastian working a walk to make it a pair aboard. Gray came through once again with a blooper into center that fell in front of a diving outfielder and skirted to the wall for a two-run triple.
Cites followed that up with a grounder to the right side that glanced off a backhand attempt at first base and went into no-man's land, bringing Gray across for a 3-1 home lead.
Jones earned a walk to begin the third, then a pair of outs moved her up to third. Brooklyn Ostrowski also received a base on balls to grant the 'Cats runners on the corners with the seventh spot due up. St. Jean delivered with a rope off the wall in center, slamming off the pads for a two-run double as Ostrowski scored from first for a 5-1 advantage.
After Georgetown's run in the second, White locked them down in the circle with four straight scoreless stanzas. Her lineup pulled through again with the first dinger of the game as Gray laid down a picturesque bunt and beat the throw, putting a runner on for Cites who blasted one over the fence for a 7-1 lead.
White came back out and shut the visitors down in order, moving the 'Cats to 8-0 in conference play.
UP NEXT: The final game of the series is set for Sunday at the Villanova Softball Complex with first pitch scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on FloSports.
