CLEMSON, S.C. – Day two in the Palmetto State brought a pair of losses for Villanova softball (5-7), who fell to both the Elon Phoenix and Marshall Thundering Herd at McWhorter Stadium on Saturday.

GAME ONE
The opening matchup of the day at the Clemson Classic saw Villanova meet Elon in a morning affair, and it was the Phoenix who emerged victorious in a 4-3 contest.

Kelsey White went five innings in the start, striking out five and allowing just two runs. Lexi Kobryn pitched in relief with three strikeouts, getting her second loss of the year after allowing a pair of unearned runs in two frames of work.

White struck out the side in the opening frame, then drew a four pitch walk and got all the way to third as VU's leadoff hitter but couldn't cross the plate to break the tie.

Elon got the scoring started with a three-hit second inning for a 1-0 lead, but Villanova responded in the third as Madison Ostrowski doubled and scored on a White sacrifice fly. Elizabeth Gray reached on a walk, stole second and came home on an Ava Franz single for a 2-1 VU edge.

The Phoenix answered on a pair of fifth-frame singles to knot it at two-all. Elon threatened when Kobryn entered the matchup, getting a runner into scoring position before the first-year stranded her there.

Grace Reed singled up the middle and advanced to third on a throwing error in the sixth, but again the Wildcats couldn't get someone across the plate.

Elon scratched two across the plate in their final hacks, getting a leadoff single before a throwing error allowed both to score and generate a two-run edge. 

Lilly St. Jean singled down the left field line to open Villanova's last chances of the first bout, then an error advanced a pair of runners into scoring positions. Freshman Jaclyn Morra plated one run with a groundout to give the 'Cats a shot, but a strikeout ended the opportunity and game as a 4-3 loss.

GAME TWO
The second bout of the day pitted the Wildcats against Marshall and a back-and-forth game went the way of the Thundering Herd in a 3-2 VU loss.

Kat Gallant went the full six innings in the circle for Villanova, drawing 17 batted-ball outs and striking out one. 

It was the same suspects delivering at the plate for the 'Cats again as Franz, Reed, St. Jean and Maddie Burrows were the lone Wildcats in the hit column. Burrows and M. Ostrowski drove in the runs, while St. Jean and Gray were the ones to touch the plate.

After Gallant worked out of trouble in the second to keep it scoreless, St. Jean led off the third with a double down the right field line for the team's first extra base hit of the contest. A pair of groundouts brought the junior station to station, crossing home for a 1-0 VU lead.

The 'Cats couldn't take advantage of some baserunners in the fourth, then Marshall took two back on a single, triple and sacrifice fly, meaning a 2-1 edge for the Thundering Herd. 

A two-out rally from a pair of pinch hitters evened up the game for the 'Cats in the sixth as Reed singled before Burrows pulled through with a pinch-hit double, making it a 2-2 ballgame.

That tie was short lived as Marshall capitalized on an error when a one-out triple scored an unearned run to grant the Herd a 3-2 advantage. Villanova put three balls in play in their final hacks, but it wasn't enough to avoid a two-loss day.