CHICAGO, Ill. – The Villanova Wildcats captured their fifth BIG EAST sweep of 2024 with an 8-3 victory over the DePaul Blue Demons on Sunday afternoon.
Four players contributed two-hit days for Villanova (25-18, 16-2 BIG EAST), including a two-RBI afternoon from both Lilly St. Jean and Elaina Wagner while Tess Cites scored twice on her two knocks and Ally Jones reached base three times (two hits, one walk).
Kelsey White tossed four innings of one-run ball to earn the victory as Alyssa Seidler struck out two in just under two frames of relief and Caroline Pellicano finished things out with a strikeout after facing just six batters.
The Wildcats struck early and often in the ballgame, with Cites getting to second right away on a single and error before Wagner doubled her home for an early edge.
St. Jean put a ball into the left field corner to score Wagner, then Ava Franz sent one a long way out of the yard for a 4-0 advantage after one.
Madison Ostrowski sent a pitch back up the middle for an opening baserunner in the second, then Cites sizzled a double down the third base line for two in scoring position. Wagner got her second RBI with a groundout before St. Jean continued her strong weekend on a run-scoring single into center to go up 6-0.
VU added another in each of the third and fourth without any long balls, the younger Ostrowski driving Chloe Smith home with a single into left before Smith brought Franz across the dish on a double off the wall during the ensuing frame for an 8-0 score.
DePaul took one back on a solo shot in the home half of the fourth, but White stranded another runner on first to keep her side's edge at a touchdown.
The 'Cats loaded the bases in their half of the sixth but couldn't strike, and DPU made them pay with an RBI single and base on balls for an 8-3 scoreboard.
Pellicano came back out into the circle for the seventh and worked through a leadoff single, delivering the 16th BIG EAST victory for the Wildcats and a second straight sweep of a conference opponent.
UP NEXT: A big week awaits the Wildcats, who remain on the road with the team's final midweek game at Pennsylvania before a critical series pits the BIG EAST's first and second place teams against each other at UConn from Apr. 26-28.
