TAMPA, Fla. – The Villanova softball team wrapped up its stay in Tampa with a pair of losses, falling twice to the South Florida Bulls at USF Softball Stadium on Monday.
The doubleheader finished off a six-game stint at the USF Softball Tournament for Villanova (8-11), where the Wildcats totaled a 4-2 record.
GAME ONE
Grace Reed recorded a career-high with two hits in the opening game for Villanova, including a two-run homer to keep the Wildcats from going down scoreless. Tess Cites generated the only other base knock for the 'Cats while Maddie Burrows scored the other VU run on the afternoon.
Kat Gallant picked up the loss after going four innings in the start with one strikeout as Maranda Runco provided a pair of scoreless frames in relief.
Villanova put a trio of hard-hit balls into play during the first stanza, but all three were fielded by the Bulls to retire the 'Cats in order. The scoreless opening frame marked the first time VU hadn't scored in the opening frame during their stint in Tampa.
USF put the game's first runner on with a first-pitch single to open the home half of the second, then an overthrow advanced the leadoff batter to second. The ensuing hitter laced a ball off a glove for an infield single, generating runners on the corners with nobody out.
After a strikeout, a weak grounder found the right spot to drive in a run and get the home side up 1-0. The inning's third infield single loaded the bases with two outs recorded, then a liner off Gallant's leg plated a second and kept ducks on the pond.
The following batter snuck a ball down the left field line and it rolled all the way to the fence for a bases-clearing triple, granting the home side a 5-0 advantage.
After a pair of scoreless innings in the third and fourth, Burrows reached on an overthrow and Reed made the Bulls pay. The freshman belted a ball beyond the left field fence, recording her third homer of the year and getting the 'Cats on the board and back down three.
Runco came on and worked through a baserunner in both the fifth and sixth frames, delivering a pair of scoreless innings in the third pitching appearance of her collegiate career.
In the Wildcats' last hacks of the doubleheader's opening game, Reed and Mackenzie Waghorn each reached on errors at third base to bring the tying run to the plate, but VU couldn't tighten the tally and suffered a 5-2 loss to the Bulls.
GAME TWO
Ava Franz registered the only two hits of the nightcap for Villanova and Burrows represented the only other baserunner as she scored a run on Franz's second base knock.
Alyssa Seidler received the loss for the 'Cats after four innings with a pair of strikeouts and two runs while Kelsey White also struck out two in a couple frames of relief.
Franz got the game started with a one-out single in the opening inning, but the junior couldn't get past first base as a pair of strikeouts ended the frame.
Seidler bounced back strong in back-to-back stanzas to kick off the action, working through leadoff baserunners in both the first and second with a combination of strikeouts and strong defensive plays from the senior hurler.
Burrows began the second with a four-pitch walk and moved up to second on a stolen bag with two outs. It was Franz delivering her second hit of the ballgame with a bloop single just out of the diving center fielder's reach to plate Burrows and get the visitors ahead 1-0.
Seidler followed up her team's strike with a six-pitch inning, inducing a trio of batted-ball outs to keep the Bulls off the board through three.
USF earned a leadoff runner with a base on balls and it took an excellent play from Franz to record some outs in the inning, snaring a liner out of the air and doubling up the player on first.
Everything started to go South Florida's way from there as they followed that up with a two-out rally on a walk and a single into left, then both came around to score as a pinch-hit RBI single followed by a rundown gave the Bulls their first lead at 2-1.
The home side added to that edge in the ensuing frame on a single and two-out triple to allow the advantage to become two, then it moved to four with a sixth inning home run that they held on to for a 5-1 USF victory.
UP NEXT: Villanova will transition into the BIG EAST portion of the schedule, starting off the conference slate with a formidable opponent as the reigning league champion Seton Hall Pirates come to the Villanova Softball Complex from Mar. 8-10.
