Jason Neff
Greg Carroccio/Sideline Photos
10
Villanova VU 11-10
11
Winner Wofford WOF 17-7
Villanova VU
11-10
10
Final
11
Wofford WOF
17-7
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Villanova VU 0 0 4 3 0 0 0 3 0 10 14 2
Wofford WOF 0 1 1 4 1 2 2 0 X 11 13 1

W: Champ Davis (5-0) L: Sachais, Alec (3-2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Neff’s Two Home Runs, Six RBI Not Enough as Villanova’s Comeback Effort Falls Short

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Despite an impressive performance by catcher Jason Neff that included two home runs and a career-best six RBI, the Villanova University baseball team fell to Wofford, 11-10, on Saturday afternoon (March 22) at Russell C. King Field. Neff has a team-best eight home runs and 30 RBI on the season.
 
In addition to Neff, third baseman Michael Whooley starred for the Wildcats, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored, a home run and two RBI. Austin Lemon, Brayden Leonard and Connor Hale also tallied multi-hit games as Villanova posted 14 hits, its second highest total of the season.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Wofford opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning with a run scored on a passed ball. The Wildcats immediately answered in the top of the third, powered by a three-run home run by Neff. After Brayden Leonard hit a double down the left field line, JoJo Montgomery drove him in with an RBI single up the middle, giving Villanova a 4-1 lead.
 
The Terriers cut the advantage to two runs with an RBI single in the bottom half of the third. However, Villanova answered once again with three runs in the top of the fourth. Whooley got things started with a two-run home run. Then, on the very next pitch, Neff launched his second homer of the game to bring the Wildcats' lead to 7-2.
 
Using an error, three hits and two stolen bases, Wofford came right back by scoring four runs in the bottom of the  fourth, narrowing the VU advantage to just one run.
 
Over the next three frames, the Terriers scored five runs behind a pair of long balls to build an 11-7 lead. In the meantime, the Wildcats were shut down by Wofford relievers Carter Rasmussen and Champ Davis.
 
Villanova finally got to Davis in the top of the eighth. With two outs, Neff hit a two-run double to bring his RBI tally to a career-high of six. Then, Leonard hit an RBI single into center field to pull the Wildcats within one.
 
The Blue and White got the tying run to second base in the ninth inning by way of a single and steal by Hale, but ultimately couldn't bring the run home. Villanova fell, 11-10.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
  • Neff's six RBI are the most in a single game for a Villanova player since Steve Grober on May 16, 2023.
  • Lemon returned to the lineup with two hits, including a leadoff double. The redshirt freshman leads the Wildcats with a .367 batting average.
  • After stealing second base in the top of the third inning, Montgomery now has a team-leading seven steals this season.
 
UP NEXT
Villanova will look to avoid a sweep against Wofford on Sunday (March 23) at Russell C. King Field in Spartanburg, S.C. The game will begin at 1 p.m. ET.
 
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