STORRS, Conn. – The Villanova Wildcats used a fifth-inning rally to pull themselves back into the second game of the series, but ultimately didn't have enough juice for the comeback in a 5-4 loss to the Connecticut Huskies on Saturday evening.

Ally Jones totaled a pair of base knocks with a double and run scored on the evening for Villanova (26-20, 17-3 BIG EAST) while Tess Cites contributed two singles and a run. Lilly St. Jean drove home a pair with a fifth-frame two-bagger as Elaina Wagner got the other RBI on a run-scoring single.

Kat Gallant went four innings in the start, receiving the loss after striking out two with Caroline Pellicano tossing two scoreless stanzas of relief.

The Wildcats flew out to left field in all three first inning ABs and the Huskies struck immediately, totaling three early hits on a pair of singles and a two-run shot for a 2-0 lead after one.

Ava Franz and Cites each contributed base knocks over the next two stanzas and despite solid contact from the Wildcats, it was to the tune of seven flyouts and there were still no runs through three VU frames.

Connecticut added to its edge in the third, stringing together a pair of leadoff singles before a three-run dinger brought the lead to 5-0.

Jones began the fourth stanza with a two-bagger then both St. Jean and Franz reached on fielder's choices before Brooklyn Ostrowski worked a walk for bases loaded. But a strikeout ended the VU chance, keeping the deficit at five.

It looked like UConn would add to that advantage in the home half of the fourth as a leadoff double and sac bunt moved a runner to third with just one down. A sacrifice flyout to center field appeared to put the Huskies ahead by six, but the third base umpire determined the runner left early and wiped the run off the board to end the inning.

Kelsey White got things started by working an 11-pitch walk featuring seven foul balls to kick off the fifth, then Cites rocketed one into right field to advance White to third and create runners on the corners. Wagner came up after a pitching change and scorched one through the left side, scoring her classmate to get the 'Cats on the board.

Jones rocked one back up the middle off the pitcher, who threw it away to score Cites and grant another base to both Wagner and Jones. St. Jean delivered after getting the green light in a 3-0 count, hammering one down the right field line for a bases-clearing double and one-run game.

Pellicano entered the circle at that point and dominated through her two frames, blanking the Huskies in the fifth and sixth with the only blemish being an infield single that the senior worked out of. 

Down to their final hacks, the Wildcats roped a pair of balls in the seventh with Wagner and St. Jean each smashing pitches out to right field, but they were tracked down by the outfielder to preserve a 5-4 Husky victory.