PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. – Graduate senior pitcher
Luke McCollough scattered four hits and two walks over seven innings of one-run ball, however the Villanova University baseball team closed its 2025 season by falling to Seton Hall, 7-5, on Saturday (May 17) at Villanova Ballpark.
McCollough struck out five as he went further than six innings for the fourth start in a row.
At the plate,
Michael Whooley and
Brayden Leonard each posted two hits and one RBI. Whooley and
Collin Quintano each hit solo home runs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Villanova (22-28, 6-15 BIG EAST) got on the board early as
Josue Valdez drove home Leonard on a groundout to put the Wildcats in the lead, 1-0.
McCollough rolled through the early innings, shutting down Seton Hall (24-30, 10-11 BIG EAST) and maintaining the 'Cats' one-run lead until the top of the fifth. Then, Justin Ford hit a solo home run, tying the game at 1-1.
Villanova would answer in the bottom of the sixth with Whooley and Quintano each hitting solo shots of their own, giving a 3-1 lead back to the Wildcats.
Then, in the bottom of the seventh, Leonard drove an RBI double down the right field line to extend Villanova's advantage. With runners on second and third, a passed ball allowed
Connor Hale to score, bringing the 'Cats' lead to 5-1.
Seton Hall answered in the top of the eighth by scoring two runs off of a hit and an error. Then, in the top of the ninth, the Pirates scored four runs on four walks, two hit-by-pitches and an error to take a 7-5 lead.
Villanova was unable to answer in the ninth, securing the 7-5 win for Seton Hall. Pirates' reliever Daniel Frontera improved to 2-1 with the win, while
Stephen Turzai fell to 1-1 with the loss.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Leonard will end the season with a team-best 60 hits. He becomes the first freshman to lead the Wildcats in hits since Nick Lorusso in 2019.
- Whooley ends the season with a 30-game on-base streak, the longest in program history since 2006.
- McCollough will end the season with a team-best 4.06 ERA.
