CHICAGO, Ill. — The Villanova softball team won their first BIG EAST series of the season after beating DePaul 8-7 in eight innings at Cacciatorre Stadium Saturday.
Maranda Runco hit two home runs in the contest, her fourth multi-home run performance in her career. VU (4-18, 2-0 BIG EAST) has now won 13 consecutive over the Blue Demons (9-14, 0-2).
The 'Cats offense put together a 12-hit performance, their second highest mark of the season behind a 15-hit mark set against Bucknell Feb. 28.
Maggie King (W, 1-1) pitched seven innings in relief, striking out six, walking two and giving up 4 earned runs on 11 hits. King earned her first win in the contest, and shutout DePaul in the crucial seventh and eighth innings.
Villanova struck first, scoring two runs in the second on a
Jaclyn Morra sacrifice fly and a Runco RBI single down the line.
The Blue Demons responded immediately in the bottom of the first, scoring twice on VU starter on the day,
Lexi Kobryn.
In her seventh start of the season, Kobryn pitched an inning, giving up two earned runs and walking two. She was scored a no-decision in the contest.
DePaul took the lead in the bottom of the second with an RBI single off King. VIllanova then tied the game on a solo shot off the bat of Runco to knot things up at 3-3.
The bottom of the third saw the Blue Demons score twice and take a 5-3 lead.
Runco's second home run of the game brought the 'Cats within one in the top of the fifth, as they trailed 5-4.
Needing insurance, DePaul got it in the bottom of the sixth, scoring on an RBI single to take a 6-4 lead into the seventh.
In the top of the seventh, facing the final out,
Katie Reed doubled before her sister
Grace Reed walked, putting two on for
Mackenzie Waghorn. After going down 2-2 in the count, Waghorn hit a triple off the right field wall, scoring both Katie and Grace to tie the game at 6-6.
A single to leadoff the bottom of the seventh put one on for the Blue Demons before a rare sac-bunt 4-6-1-4-5 double play cleared the bases for the 'Cats. A speared ball by King ended the inning and forced extras.
In the first at-bat of the eighth,
Maddie Burrows got ahold of a pitch and deposited it over the right field fence for her first home run of the season and fifth of her career.
Leading 8-7, King pitched around a one-out double to end the contest and hand Villanova the series win.
Up Next
VU will seek a sweep of DePaul Sunday at noon CST (1 p.m. EST). The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats will be available on StatBroadcast.
