Villanova softball rebounded from a tough, midweek 3-1 loss to St. Joe’s with a dominant weekend in Washington, D.C.

In a three-game series, Villanova (14-15, 7-2 Big East) swept Georgetown (8-15, 0-9), 11-3 (6 innings), 12-3 (6) and 4-2.

The Wildcats began the series with a run-rule victory on Friday.

Georgetown scored first on a two-run double in the bottom of the first inning.

Villanova tied the game in the top of the third inning on senior right fielder Elaina Wagner’s two-run double. The Wildcats then took their first lead after a sacrifice fly by redshirt senior first baseman Brooklyn Ostrowski. Junior second baseman Maddie Burrows capped off the inning with a two-run home run, extending Villanova’s lead to 5-2.

In the top of the fourth, Villanova padded its lead on senior shortstop Ava Franz’s RBI groundout.

The Hoyas cut into the deficit in the bottom of the fourth when junior center fielder Claire Turner blasted a solo home run to left center field to make it a 6-3 game.  

After neither team scored in the fifth inning, the Wildcats exploded for five runs in the sixth to put the game out of reach. Franz’s RBI single knocked in the first two runs of the inning before Burrows’ second home run of the game, a three-run blast to right-center field, pushed the Villanova advantage to 11-3. 

“[Burrows’] first [home run] sparked us and we started hitting better,” Villanova head coach Bridget Orchard said. “Then she hit another one, and I think that was big for her and our momentum.”

Sophomore pitcher Maranda Runco took the circle in the sixth inning. She retired Georgetown to end the game on the run rule.

Junior pitcher Kat Gallant earned the opening win for Villanova. In five innings pitched, she allowed three runs on five hits, walking two and striking out three. 

Saturday’s game, the second in the series, resulted in another run-rule victory for the Wildcats, this time a 12-3 win.

Villanova struck early, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when senior pitcher Kelsey White drew a bases-loaded walk. Sophomore third baseman Grace Reed followed with an RBI single, extending the Wildcats’ lead to 2-0.

In the top of the third inning, Franz launched a solo home run to center field before Burrows and Reed each tallied RBI doubles to increase the lead to 5-0. 

The Wildcats continued to build their lead in the top of the fourth inning. Runco started the scoring with a solo home run to right field, followed later by Ostrowski’s solo shot to center, extending the lead to seven.

After a scoreless fifth, Villanova broke the game open in the sixth with five runs.

Franz delivered her second homer of the day, a three-run blast. White followed with a solo shot, and later in the inning, junior left fielder Madison Ostrowski tacked on an RBI double to cap the scoring outburst.

Georgetown finally appeared on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth inning. An RBI single followed by two runs on defensive errors cut the deficit to 12-3. The Hoya rally was short-lived, however, as Runco induced a ground ball fielder’s choice out to clinch the run-rule victory.

White earned the second win for Villanova. In five innings pitched, she allowed just three hits and no runs, walking two and striking out four. 

On Sunday, the Wildcats finished the sweep, securing a 4-2 victory.

“It’s just awesome to see [White’s] senior leadership shine through,” Orchard said. “ She had a really good drop ball and [Georgetown] was having trouble hitting her.”

Both lineups were scoreless through the first four innings. 

At the top of the fifth inning, Villanova recorded the first runs of the game. Franz reached base on an error, allowing Wagner to cross the plate for a 1-0 lead. Brooklyn Ostrowski and Burrows then followed with back-to-back RBI singles, extending the advantage to 3-0. Later in the inning, Brooklyn Ostrowski scored on a wild pitch, pushing the Wildcat lead to 4-0.

Georgetown reduced the deficit in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI single for their first run of the game. They scored again in the sixth, once more on an RBI single, bringing the score to 4-2.

Villanova stifled the Georgetown rally in the bottom of the seventh, as Gallant retired the side to record the save. 

Wildcats’ freshman pitcher Lexi Kobryn earned the win, pitching four innings of five-hit, one-run ball. She did not walk a batter and recorded four punchouts. 

Villanova will travel to South Orange, NJ this weekend for another Big East series, this time against Seton Hall.