VILLANOVA, Pa. – A seven-game homestand came to an end in victorious fashion on Sunday afternoon as Villanova softball picked up a 10-7 win in the final game of the series to sweep the Creighton Bluejays this weekend at the VU Softball Complex.
There was production up and down the lineup for Villanova (12-13, 4-2 BIG EAST), led by a pair of hits from Elizabeth Gray. Every Wildcat starter reached base in the game with Elaina Wagner working just the second three-walk game of the year for the Wildcats.
Maranda Runco drove home a trio of runs with a three-run homer, Maddie Burrows scored twice and drove in two on the afternoon and Brooklyn Ostrowski added a pair of runs after reaching on two free passes.
Kelsey White went three-plus innings as the starting pitcher, striking out one and inducing nine batted-ball outs while surrendering just her first walk of the season. Lexi Kobryn came on in relief and picked up the win, throwing 3.1 frames with a strikeout and just two hits allowed.
Creighton started out the game with a double and despite back-to-back groundouts nearly getting White out of the jam unscathed, a wild pitch scored the runner to make it a 1-0 VU deficit.
Villanova tied it up in their response, stringing together an Ostrowski walk and wild pitch before White helped herself by lifting a single over the shortstop to score Ostrowski and even it at 1-1.
The Bluejays took the edge back in the third, playing small ball with a hit by pitch, bunt single and two-out base knock granting a 2-1 lead. CU threatened to take a bigger advantage as a two-out pitch got lifted deep into the outfield, but Gray made a leaping play at the wall to keep the ball in the yard and the deficit at one.
The 'Cats loaded the bases in their third-inning answer, taking advantage of an error and two free bases before an Ava Franz groundout got one home. A walk re-loaded the bases before two more CU errors scored another pair.
Madison Ostrowski singled up the middle to bring another home, Gray singled to load the bags again and Burrows drove in two more with a base knock.
Runco made the visitors pay for the sloppiness, blasting the first pitch of her at bat way out to left center for a three-run tank and a 10-2 advantage after the nine-run frame for a VU season-best in runs during one inning.
Creighton took three back in the ensuing stanza, stringing together three singles and a double in the fourth for a 10-5 ballgame. The Bluejays kept chipping away, getting two more in the sixth to bring the score to 10-7.
The Wildcats couldn't scratch any more across after that nine-run third, so it was up to the freshman Kobryn and the defense to pull it out. The right-hander retired the Bluejays 1-2-3 in the seventh, granting her side a sweep of the weekend.
UP NEXT: The 'Cats have wrapped up their seven-game homestand and will head on the road for the rest of March, traveling to Saint Joseph's for a Wednesday afternoon contest before a weekend series at Georgetown.
