The excitement of the Wildcat softball team’s first ever sweep this season against Drexel could have gone unnoticed with its overall record of 4-19, but instead the team was reminded of what it felt like to win.

A team that never gives up and plays every game like it’s a new day, the Wildcats came out hard against Drexel, winning both games by a tally of 9-5 and then 7-2.

The bats were on fire. Meghan Morese, a freshman shortstop, started the rally for the Wildcats in the bottom of the second inning, hitting a double to left center. The hits continued to pile up, and the inning ended 5-0.

The second game was much like the first. With a few changes in the lineup Villanova came out again offensively, knocking around Drexel’s pitching staff. In the second inning Natalie Horde, freshman outfielder, singled to left field to get the inning started. The inning ended with five hits and four runs.

These were two games where things finally came together for the Villanova Wildcats. Offensively and defensively everything meshed, putting two wins in the books.

“We finally dominated a team on every aspect of the game,” Greta Holmgren, sophomore outfielder, said. “I feel that it brought some confidence to everyone for the weekend.”

However, the weekend would not end as planned. Going into conference play with a 0-4 record, two wins against Syracuse would have been ideal.

In the top of the first inning Syracuse ended the inning with a two run homer. Syracuse would score another two runs before Villanova put any runs on the board. In the bottom of the third inning Morese doubled to center field to bring in two runs.

With the gap narrowed to 4-2, Villanova knew it had a chance to come back, but offensively throughout the rest of the game, it seemed their bats were dead. Four runs and four innings later, the Orange won the game, 8-2.

With new expectations the Wildcats would take the field for the next game with intensity. Yet their bats did not liven up from the first game, as they again lost to Syracuse, 8-1.

“It is definitely frustrating when the whole team is struggling at the plate,” Holmgren said. “Especially when you know everyone has the talent to rip the cover off the ball.”

The Wildcats had to quickly put the games against Syracuse behind them and come out against Pittsburgh. With a 0-6 in the Big East, they needed to put a stop to their losing streak.

The first game was a tough game. Villanova played the Panthers in a close game until the top of the sixth inning when Pitt scored four runs making the score 6-0. In the bottom of the sixth, Villanova scored two runs. In the seventh inning the team was unable to score anymore, much like their offense the day before. The Wildcats lost 6-2.

Their hopes still high, the Wildcats came out strong in the second game, holding the score 0-0 until the fifth inning. Pittsburgh scored three runs. Going into the bottom of the seventh, the score was 5-0. Villanova would only score one run off of a wild pitch, resulting in the fourth loss of the weekend.

“I think our team is trying too hard to get out of a losing streak instead of relying on our own skills,” Holmgren said.

“When we try too hard, we think too much. We just need to go out there and do it.”