VILLANOVA, Pa. – The Wildcats got back in the win column on Friday afternoon, taking down the Seton Hall Pirates 8-5 at the Villanova Softball Complex.

Katie Reed led the way for Villanova (9-31, 5-11 BIG EAST) with a pair of hits and a walk while Ava Mahnken hit a two-run home run and Maranda Runco contributed a pair of RBI on the day.

Maggie King picked up the victory with three strikeouts in four-plus innings while Carly Zych threw the first 2.2 as the starter in the circle for the 'Cats.

Madison Ostrowski was the lone Wildcat to score multiple runs as Maddie Burrows and Runco each also reached base a pair of times.

Seton Hall struck first in the contest by plating a pair on four hits in the opening frame, leading 2-0 after one. 

Ostrowski worked a leadoff walk in the second and it paid off shortly after as Mahnken lined the second pitch of her AB over the wall in left to tie it up at two apiece with one swing.

The Pirates answered with a solo homer in the third to snatch the lead back, and Villanova loaded the bases in their response but couldn't scratch any across. SHU hit a two-run bomb in the fourth to expand the edge, leading 5-2 over halfway through the game.

The Wildcat bats came alive in the fifth though, using a five-hit inning to plate a quintet of runs and take their first lead of the game. Reed and Burrows started it with singles, then Runco put one back through the middle to score one while a throwing error got the other home.

A walk then an Ostrowski single tied the game up before a mishandled ground ball and Jacquelyn Cox base knock allowed Villanova to take a 7-5 edge after five.

Mackenzie Waghorn worked a walk in a pinch-hit appearance to lead off the sixth, moved up to third on a Reed double and came in on a Runco sacrifice fly to score an insurance run and get her team up 8-5 going into the final frame.

King worked around a leadoff walk and one-out single in the seventh, striking out one and forcing a batted-ball out to grant Villanova the game one win.