Coming off a five-game winning streak, Villanova baseball dropped two games in three days. After losing to Monmouth this past Wednesday, the Wildcats headed into a series against a tough Creighton team. They were defeated, 14-6, in game one, but took 13-6 and 6-5 victories to steal the series win from a top team in the Big East.
Villanova is now 14-23 overall, matching its win total from last season. The 5-7 conference record keeps Villanova in sixth place in the Big East, but the series keeps the Wildcats in contention.
“A team needs to find its identity,” head coach Kevin Mulvey said. “Last year, we didn’t do as great a job of finding our identity as a team. Our guys have adapted and have done a good job of creating an inclusive environment and loving each other.”
The first game set a scary tone for the rest of the series as Creighton had complete control. Villanova went down, 11-0, in the top half of the seventh inning before responding with five runs in the bottom half.
Creighton wouldn’t let up, scoring three more runs in the next inning. The Wildcats could only muster one more run before suffering the 14-6 loss.
Although the bats took a while to get started, there were still some impressive hitting performances in this game. Junior catcher Josue Valdez highlighted the offense with a three-run homer. Junior outfielder Shane Solari followed with a solo homer in the same inning as a part of his 3-for-4 hitting performance.
There were pitching struggles for most of the game, as freshman Jake Francis allowed four runs on six hits and four walks in 4.2 innings. The bullpen combined for 10 runs in the next 4.1 innings.
Despite the loss, the Wildcat defense only committed one error. The 10 walks allowed by their pitchers were the ‘Cats’ issue.
The ‘Cats managed to move on from the loss and have a terrific second game. They nearly reversed the score of the previous game, thanks partly to nine runs in the first two innings.
Sophomore infielder Michael Whooley got the scoring started with a three-RBI double in the first inning. Solari had an impact again in game two with a three-RBI double of his own in the following inning.
The Wildcat offense was able to tack on four more runs to complete the 13-6 victory. Graduate catcher Jason Neff had a great day at the plate, batting 3-for-4 with one walk, one RBI, and two runs.
Valdez hit his second homer of the series and was a part of a trio of home run hitters in this game. Graduate student outfielder Scott Shaw and graduate infielder/outfielder Jack O’Reilly both homered late in the game to ensure the Villanova victory.
A great day from the offense overpowered the fact that pitching struggles continued in this game. Graduate student Luke McCollough was able to go 6.1 innings, but he allowed six runs on five hits. However, grad student pitchers Stephen Turzai and Alec Sachais were able to deny any sort of Creighton comeback, both throwing 1.1 scoreless innings in relief.
This success carried over into the third game, which saw timely hitting lead to a victory. The game was at a standstill for six innings, as neither team allowed a run.
The Wildcats then broke the game open with a five-run seventh inning. Solari had another impressive day, as he went 2-4 and got the scoring started with an RBI single.
After Creighton scored a run of its own, Villanova went into the ninth inning with a four-run lead. With the game seemingly almost over, the lead quickly went away as Creighton tied the game up.
The Wildcats were given a chance to bounce back in the bottom half of the ninth and they came through. Neff walked off the game with an RBI single that gave them the series victory.
It was a high-energy ending to a crucial weekend of baseball.
“I’m happy with the way the guys are playing with confidence,” Mulvey said. “The way we gave it up and then walked it off was a huge testament of this team. To be able to beat a team like that at home when we need it the most was awesome to be a part of.”
After Tuesday’s game versus Bucknell, the Wildcats will head into another three-game Big East series, against first-place UConn. The series could prove to be the most important of the season.
