Villanova started a new conference winning streak this weekend, handily sweeping the DePaul Blue Demons in Chicago, 7-0, 8-2 and 8-3.
In the first game on Friday, the Wildcats scored the first two runs of the game in the third inning. Sophomore second baseman Lilly St. Jean struck first when her RBI double brought home graduate catcher Ally Jones. Redshirt junior first baseman Brooklyn Ostrowski capped the inning when her groundout brought in St. Jean.
Villanova cushioned its lead in the following inning, when it ambushed DePaul for five more runs. Junior right fielder Elaina Wagner began the fifth-inning onslaught with a single that scored freshman center fielder Elizabeth Gray. Junior shortstop Ava Franz followed with a two-run double that brought home Wagner and senior left fielder Tess Cites. Freshman pinch hitter Miranda Runco put the finishing touches on the inning when her two-run double scored Franz and Jones.
Villanova senior pitcher Alyssa Seidler pitched a complete game one-hit shutout to collect the win. She walked just two batters and struck out an astonishing twelve.
“[Seidler] was awesome,” head coach Bridget Orchard said. “She was always capable of this. She’s had some good outings but that had to be one of the best. Our biggest weakness is probably our defense and she struck out 12. She was hitting her spots and getting lots of swings and misses and just controlling the game. I think that helped our offense because they felt comfortable. We were getting in and out of innings really quick, three-up, three-down.”
In the second game on Saturday, the Wildcats got on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning when Franz singled home Cites.
Villanova then poured on five runs in the top of the second. Ostrowski led off the inning with a home run and junior DP Kelsey White was right behind her with a solo shot of her own. St. Jean later singled home Gray, and then scored on Franz’s two-run triple that also brought in Jones.
The Wildcats scored again in the fourth on St. Jean’s second RBI single of the game that scored Cites.
“[St. Jean] has just been really having a great season, but definitely this past weekend she really just stepped up when we needed her to with runners in scoring position,” Orchard said. “She’s getting key hits with two outs and hitting for power but also hitting singles and doubles and just really stepping up.”
DePaul scored its first runs of the series in the bottom of the fourth inning on a two-run triple.
The Wildcats added another insurance run in the top of the sixth when Jones scored on a DePaul error.
The 8-2 score after the sixth held as the final.
For Villanova, sophomore pitcher Kat Gallant recorded the win, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks over four innings pitched. She also struck out four batters.
In the Sunday contest, the Wildcats jumped on the Blue Demons in the first inning, piling up four runs. Wagner knocked in the first run, an RBI double that brought in Cites. St. Jean’s RBI double then promptly brought Wagner in to score. Finally, Franz hit a mammoth home run to left field to bring home St. Jean.
“[Franz] has been great,” Orchard said. “With [St. Jean] and her going back-to-back, we [hadn’t been] scoring with runners on base, but I feel like this weekend, both of them in particular were coming through with runners on base with big-time hits, doubles and home runs and putting runs on the board.”
Villanova added two more runs in the second inning after Wagner’s groundout scored sophomore center fielder Madison Ostrowski and St. Jean’s single knocked in Cites.
The Wildcats added another run in the third when Madison Ostrowski’s single scored graduate third baseman Chloe Smith.
“[Madison Ostrowski] wants to compete,” Orchard said “She wants to win, and [we were able] to give her a chance to get out there. She adds to our outfield and our speed, at the bottom of the order, she was in the nine spot and she had some key RBIs, she got on base and was able to score. Her big thing is just being consistent and giving us a chance to win the game. She was clutch, coming in [after not] getting a ton of playing time but just being ready, and she was definitely ready.”
Villanova scored its eighth run of the game in the following inning on Smith’s RBI double that plated Franz.
DePaul scored its first run of the game on a home run in the bottom of the fourth on a home run and another two in the sixth on an RBI single and a bases-loaded walk.
Any real thought of a DePaul comeback was halted when it went scoreless in the seventh to end the game.
White recorded the win for the Wildcats, allowing one run on three hits with one walk over four innings of middle relief, striking out one.
This weekend, the ‘Cats will travel to Storrs to face UConn, putting their first-place position in the conference to the test against the Big East’s second-place team.
