Box Score ROCK HILL, S.C. – Catcher
Jason Neff tied career bests in hits (4) and RBI (4) while hitting a career-high two home runs as the Villanova University baseball team defeated Winthrop, 10-3, Saturday afternoon (Feb. 22) at Founders Field. Neff now has three home runs and seven RBI in his last two games.
Meanwhile,
Luke McCollough starred on the mound, going 7.1 innings while only giving up three runs and striking out six.
Jake Francis pitched the remaining 1.2 innings, forcing a double play to end the eighth inning and retiring the Eagles (3-3) in order in the ninth to secure the win for the Wildcats (3-2).
HOW IT HAPPENED
Villanova immediately got on the board with single by
Austin Lemon followed by a two-run home run from
Michael Whooley, his first of the season. McCollough set down the Eagles in order in the bottom of the first to bring the Wildcats into the second inning ahead, 2-0.
The 'Cats scored five runs in the second inning, beginning with RBIs from
Tyler Shaw and Whooley. Then, Neff drove home both Shaw and Whooley with a two-RBI double. To cap off the spurt, Neff scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of
Aidan Barry, bringing the Villanova lead to 7-0.
After both teams were held scoreless in the third and fourth innings, Neff led off the top of the fifth with a solo home run to right field, growing the Wildcat advantage to eight runs. The Eagles managed to answer in the bottom half of the inning, scoring two runs on three hits and bringing the score to 8-2.
McCollough continued to dominate into the late innings, allowing only one baserunner through the sixth and seventh.
In the bottom of the eighth, Winthrop's Gabe Natividad hit a solo home run off to lead off the inning. Later in the inning, the Eagles strung together a pair of base hits, warranting head coach
Kevin Mulvey to go to the bullpen. He brought in Francis, who immediately forced a double play to limit the damage and keep the Wildcats in front, 8-3.
After Shaw reached on a walk in the top of the ninth, Neff blasted his second home run of the game into right field. Francis set down Winthrop 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the inning, securing the 10-3 win for Villanova.
BY THE NUMBERS
After going 4-for-4 today, Neff is now batting .500 (9-for-18) through five games this year. Along with Neff, Whooley also shined offensively, tallying a season-best three hits, three RBI and a home run of his own. With two hits this afternoon, Lemon has at least one hit in all five games this season, bringing his batting average to .412. On the mound, reliever
Jake Francis has allowed just two hits and one run through 4.1 innings of work.
UP NEXT
The Wildcats will take on Winthrop in the series finale on Sunday (Feb. 23) at Founders Field in Rock Hill, S.C. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET, and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
