After dispatching St. Joseph’s in a midweek game by a score of 16–7 in six innings, Villanova continued its undefeated Big East season this weekend, defeating Georgetown in three consecutive games, 5-2, 7-1 and 4-3.
With inclement weather forecasted for the previously scheduled Saturday game, the Wildcats began the series with a doubleheader on Friday.
In the first game, the Wildcats scored first, putting three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Graduate first baseman Victoria Sebastian knocked in junior right fielder Elaina Wagner with a single, before Sebastian herself scored on a two-run home run from graduate catcher Ally Jones.
Villanova added another run in the third when freshman Maranda Runco drew a pinch-hit walk with the bases loaded, forcing in Wagner.
The Wildcats scored again in the fifth when Sebastian came home on a run-scoring double from freshman center fielder Elizabeth Gray.
Georgetown scored its first two runs in the top of the seventh to make it a three-run game before ‘Cats senior pitcher Caroline Pellicano induced a groundout to end the game.
Villanova senior pitcher Alyssa Seidler recorded her seventh win of the season, scattering three hits and three walks with four strikeouts over five scoreless innings.
In the second game of the doubleheader, the Hoyas scratched a run on a single in the top of the second inning.
The Wildcats responded with three runs of their own to take the lead in the bottom of the second, when Gray’s two-run-triple scored Sebastian and sophomore second baseman Lilly St. Jean. Gray came around to score later in the inning on a Georgetown error.
Villanova padded its lead in the sixth when St. Jean’s double knocked in redshirt sophomore pinch-runner Alexa Raphael and redshirt junior DP Brooklyn Ostrowski.
The ‘Cats put an exclamation point on the victory in the sixth when senior left fielder Tess Cites crushed a no-doubt two-run home run, scoring Gray.
“[Cites has] just got great leadership,” Villanova head coach Bridget Orchard said. “She always brings energy every day at every practice. So, I think, obviously, she puts up the numbers, but she also helps carry our team by bringing a lot of energy every day and keeping the positivity and encouragement.”
Villanova junior pitcher Kelsey White secured her fourth win of the season, twirling a seven-inning complete game, allowing just one run on only three hits and two walks, while striking out four.
“[White] has been stepping up as a sturdy player for us,” Orchard said. “She’s only a junior, but she’s gotten better every year and just came out throwing good pitches. We have five pitchers, so we haven’t had them throw many complete games, but she was just throwing so well.”
It was White’s first complete game in the circle this season.
“She was able to throw stuff in a complete seven-inning game, which is a huge feat nowadays with these hitters, [even though] she’s facing the same batter three or four times,” Orchard said. “Georgetown couldn’t hit her, which is obviously awesome for her. [She has] three different pitches and changes it up and works really hard to get them all out.”
The ‘Cats returned to action in the final game of the series on Sunday, completing a furious comeback to secure the series sweep.
Villanova put the first run of the game for either team up in the fourth inning when Cites’ RBI single scored Sebastian.
Georgetown took the lead with a two-run home run in the fifth inning before padding its lead in the sixth with an additional run.
Villanova stormed back with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Cites tied the game with a single that brought home Sebastian and St. Jean. The ‘Cats then retook the lead when Cites scored on Jones’ clutch RBI single.
Georgetown put the tying and go-ahead runners on base in the top of the seventh before graduate third baseman Chloe Smith made a terrific diving stop to end the game.
For Villanova, Pellicano recorded her fourth win of the season, allowing one run on three hits and one walk with two strikeouts in two innings of relief.
Another of the ‘Cats’ key performers on the weekend was Elaina Wagner, who went 5–11, raising her season batting average to .314.
“That’s huge for us,” Orchard said. “[Wagner] has worked hard over her first two years. This is her first year earning a starting spot and she started the first game and has been hitting so great, so that is a tribute to her work and her patience and she just stayed with it this year.”
The Wildcats have a quartet of games coming this week with the ‘Cats first visiting Drexel on Wednesday night. They will host Virginia on Friday and will host Missouri and Virginia again on Saturday.
