Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – The Villanova baseball team split a Sunday doubleheader against BIG EAST opponent Seton Hall on April 26. The Wildcats dropped game one, 3-2, before bouncing back with an 11-6 victory in the nightcap.
GAME ONE
Villanova wasted no time getting on the board in the opener.
JoJo Montgomery jumped on the first pitch of the game and launched a solo home run to deep left-center field, giving the Wildcats an early 1-0 lead. The blast marked his second homer of the season.
Seton Hall answered in similar fashion in the bottom of the second, as the leadoff batter connected on a first-pitch solo shot to even the score at 1-1.
The Wildcats regained the lead in the fourth inning.
Collin Quintano led off with a double, and
Austin Lemon followed with a single to put runners on the corners with one out.
Larry Hotaling then delivered a sacrifice fly to center field, bringing home Quintano and making it 2-1.
Starting pitcher
Jack Kelley turned in a strong outing early, allowing just one run through four innings while striking out four.
Seton Hall tied the game again in the fifth after a leadoff double and a pair of successful bunts, including a squeeze play at the plate. The Pirates then took their first lead in the sixth, using back-to-back hits and another well-executed bunt to go ahead 3-2.
Villanova had a chance in the seventh but saw the game end on a double play, as Seton Hall held on for the 3-2 win.
GAME TWO
The Wildcats once again struck early in game two. The first three batters reached base—
Austin Lemon on an error,
Michael Whooley via walk, and
John Freitag after being hit by a pitch—to load the bases with no outs. After a strikeout, Montgomery delivered again, ripping a two-run single to right field for a quick 2-0 lead.
Seton Hall responded in the third with a three-run homer to take a 3-2 advantage, then added another run in the fourth on a two-out RBI double to extend the lead to 4-2.
Villanova answered in the sixth with a two-out rally.
Brayden Leonard doubled, and
Carter Richey followed with a double of his own to cut the deficit to one.
Mark Gialluisi then crushed a two-run homer to left field, giving the Wildcats a 5-4 lead.
The Wildcats kept the momentum going in the seventh. After loading the bases, Montgomery delivered a ground-rule double to drive in two more runs, giving him four RBIs on the day. Leonard added another run with an RBI groundout, extending the lead to 8-4.
Seton Hall chipped away in the bottom half of the inning, scoring twice to make it 8-6.
Villanova responded with insurance in the eighth. Whooley doubled to start the inning, and Quintano followed with a two-run homer to right field—his eighth of the season—to push the lead to 10-6. Richey later added an RBI double to cap the scoring at 11-6.
The Wildcats' offense caught fire late, scoring in each of the final four innings.
Matthew Kahn was strong out of the bullpen, striking out a season-high six batters to help secure Villanova's first BIG EAST win.
UP NEXT
Villanova returns home to face Saint Joseph's on Tuesday, April 28. First pitch at Villanova Ballpark is scheduled for 3:35 p.m.
