VILLANOVA, Pa. – It was a doubleheader sweep for the visitors at the Villanova Softball Complex on Saturday as the Wildcats fell to a pair of teams receiving votes in the national polls.
The losses to No. 13 Missouri and RV Virginia wrap up the BIG EAST bye week for Villanova (18-14), who will resume conference play next weekend at Creighton.
GAME ONE
Tess Cites, Ava Franz and Lilly St. Jean all totaled two hits in game one against No. 13 Missouri, but the 'Cats couldn't scratch any across in a 7-0 loss on Saturday morning.
Kelsey White received the loss after going two innings in the start. Alyssa Seidler threw three frames of one-hit ball in relief with Caroline Pellicano finishing the ballgame in a pair of innings.
The Tigers struck early and often in the first, beginning with a pair of leadoff base knocks before a walk, sacrifice fly and some nifty baserunning put the visitors ahead by three.
Villanova loaded up the bags to lead off the home half of that frame with a Cites double and Franz single bookending an Elaina Wagner walk. But Missouri recorded three straight outs to get out unscathed and preserve a 3-0 edge.
Mizzou added a pair in the second on three hits, extending the advantage to 5-0 where it stayed through the end of the fifth. The visitors plated a couple in the ensuing sixth with a leadoff blast, then put forth another on a pair of walks and a sacrifice fly to get it to 7-0.
St. Jean led off the sixth with Villanova's first hit since Franz's leadoff double to open the third, then Victoria Sebastian followed with a base knock through the right side. A walk earned ducks on the pond, but the 'Cats were still unable to strike.
Pellicano delivered a 1-2-3 top of the seventh and despite another Wagner walk and St. Jean single, the ballgame ended with a 7-0 Missouri win.
GAME TWO
Cites provided the lone run for the 'Cats in game two against RV Virginia with other hits in the game from Franz, Sebastian, St. Jean and Wagner.
Kat Gallant threw six stanzas of one-run ball for the Wildcats, one-hitting the Cavaliers through five while striking out a pair. White picked up the loss after tossing two innings of relief for her second appearance of the day.
Cites started out the day's second game in a big way, sending a solo shot out to center for a leadoff bomb and her side's first lead of the weekend.
It was a pitcher's duel through five, with Gallant allowing just one hit in the first and UVA's hurlers only surrendering the solo shot and a double from Wagner but no more runs.
Virginia leveled the matchup with one swing to lead off the sixth, shooting one over the fence in center for a 1-1 ballgame. The Cavaliers earned a base on balls to follow that up and stole second following a flyout for a runner in scoring position with one down. But St. Jean had other plans as what appeared to be an RBI base knock was snared on a leaping grab by the sophomore, who doubled off the runner at second to keep the game tied.
The Wahoos threatened in the seventh, using a one-out single and stolen base to get a runner into scoring position. But White induced a couple of groundouts to strand that player on third, keeping the score even.
Sebastian grounded a single back through the middle to get a seventh-inning baserunner for the 'Cats, but two strikeouts kept her at first and sent the game into extras.
The visitors converted in their opening chance, putting two into scoring position with a leadoff walk and a grounder down the line for a two-bagger. A single scored the first, then a sacrifice fly gave them a two-run edge. A two-out double cleared the bases, granting the Cavaliers a 5-1 advantage after seven and a half.
Villanova made good contact in the final frame with two flyouts and a single through the middle by Franz, but it wasn't enough as the game came to a close with a 5-1 UVA victory.
UP NEXT: The Wildcats will be on the road next week, traveling to Penn for a midweek bout on Wednesday before a trip to Omaha for a three-game weekend series at Creighton.
