Villanova softball suffered its first Big East losses of the season this weekend in a series at Creighton. The Wildcats dropped the first half of a Friday doubleheader, 8-7, in eight innings before taking the second game, 3-2. They fell, 12-4, in the Saturday finale, in six innings.
In the Friday opener, the Bluejays scored first on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the first inning.
The Wildcats went in front in the top of the third when graduate first baseman Victoria Sebastian homered, driving in redshirt junior DP Brooklyn Ostrowski. They padded their lead later in the inning when senior left fielder Tess Cites scored on junior right fielder Elaina Wagner’s single.
Creighton trimmed the Villanova lead to one on a solo home run in the home half of the third.
Villanova added four more runs in the fifth when junior shortstop Ava Franz drove in Cites with a single and when sophomore second baseman Lilly St. Jean doubled home Wagner and graduate catcher Ally Jones. Franz capped the scoring when she sprinted home on a wild pitch.
Creighton roared back to tie the game at seven in the bottom of the fifth inning on a two-run home run, a bases-loaded hit by pitch and a two-run single.
In the top of the eighth, Villanova put two runners on, but failed to score.
Creighton walked the game off in the bottom of the eighth when a double from senior DP Emma Rosonke brought home the winning run.
For the Wildcats, senior pitcher Caroline Pellicano was handed the loss, after surrendering just one run on four hits over three innings in relief and striking out two.
In the second Friday game, the Bluejays opened the scoring, scratching their first run across on a wild pitch in the bottom of the third inning.
Villanova tied the game in the top of the fourth on a solo home run from Ostrowski.
The ‘Cats took the lead in the top of the fifth when junior DP Kelsey White scored on a fielder’s choice and later added on when Cites scored on a double from Wagner.
Creighton trimmed the lead to one in the fifth, but did not score again for the rest of the game.
‘Cats pitcher Pellicano slammed the door in the bottom of the seventh, striking out a pair of Bluejays to record the save.
Villanova pitcher White recorded the win, scattering seven hits and two runs over five innings pitched, walking one while striking out two Creighton hitters.
In the Saturday series finale, Creighton once again scored first, plating a run on an RBI double in the bottom of the first inning.
Villanova took the lead in the bottom of the first when freshman third baseman Grace Reed homered, driving in St. Jean.
Creighton retook the lead in the bottom of the second, scoring three runs on a two-run single and a sacrifice fly.
Villanova evened the score in the third when Ostrowski and Cites each crushed solo home runs.
“It [was] awesome,” Villanova head coach Bridget Orchard said, regarding Ostrowski. “Last weekend she was slumping a little bit, so it was awesome to see her getting back to hitting the ball out of the park.”
Creighton took the lead in the third, plating three runs on a single coupled with a fielding error. They scored again in the same inning on another RBI single and then again on another fielding error. By the end of the third, the Bluejays led, 9-4.
Creighton added three more runs in the sixth on a double, groundout, and single. The game was then called due to the mercy rule.
For the ‘Cats, White took the loss, allowing five runs (none earned) on four hits. She did not walk a batter and recorded one strikeout.
“The girls know now they were not invincible, and we got to keep working hard, and teams are coming out strong, and they’re playing their best games against us,” Orchard said. “It definitely was disappointing to drop the games. So we’re a better team, but overall, [we have to get] back on it [because we] have big games this weekend.”
Villanova will host St. John’s for a three-game weekend series beginning Friday, April 12.
