Erick Quezada
Villanova baseball is on pace to have its first winning season since 2021.
Villanova baseball hosted Georgetown University for its first conference series of the season, and went 2–1 across the weekend.
The Wildcats (16–13, 2–1 Big East) dropped game one to the Hoyas (11–20, 1–2 Big East), 4–2 and won the second and third games, 9–2 and 5–2, respectively.
“I’m proud of how the guys played,” head coach Kevin Mulvey said. “It was a tough series. Georgetown played well, we played well, we pitched to contact, and we overcame our mistakes.”
Graduate pitcher Luke McCollough started game one. He threw 6.2 innings, allowing four runs and striking out two. Junior Bobby Finn pitched two shutout innings out of the bullpen.
Georgetown got on the board in the first inning on a three-run home run. The game stayed at 3–0 until the seventh, when the Hoyas added another run on an RBI single.
In the bottom of the seventh, junior Michael Whooley hit a two-run home run to make it 4–2. Whooley is now batting .316 on the season, in a team-leading 114 at-bats.
The Wildcats were shut out in the eighth and ninth innings, dropping their first conference game of the season, 4–2.
In game two of the series, Georgetown struck first, with a two-RBI single in the second inning.
The score remained 2–0 until freshman JoJo Montgomery drove in the first run of the game for Villanova in the sixth inning.
The Wildcats plated four more runs in the seventh inning behind two wild pitches and RBI singles from senior Josue Valdez and sophomore Trent Toole.
Villanova added four in the ninth on a Georgetown fielding error and a two-run home run from graduate Jason Neff.
Sophomore Jake Francis (5–0) started on the mound for the Wildcats. He went seven innings, allowing two runs and striking out four. Graduate Alec Sachais picked up his fourth save of the year, throwing two shutout innings. The Wildcats bounced back to win, 9–2.
Francis now has a 3.35 ERA on the season over 37.2 innings pitched.
In game three, graduate Bobby Olsen got the start. He pitched three innings, allowing two runs and striking out three. Bobby Finn came in to pitch out of the bullpen. He threw three scoreless innings, striking out five.
Georgetown took a 2–0 lead in the fourth on an RBI double and a sacrifice fly.
Villanova responded with a two-run fourth inning behind Valdez’s first home run of the season and a Toole RBI single to tie the game.
Whooley hit a solo home run to give the Wildcats their first lead of the game in the fifth. They added another run in the sixth on an RBI groundout by freshman Austin Lemon.
Villanova got an insurance run in the seventh when freshman Brayden Leonard hit an RBI single.
Sachais shut the door again, throwing the final three innings, striking out three and allowing zero hits.
In the three-game series, Villanova’s bullpen did not allow a single run.
“Knowing that we have guys that can come out of the bullpen and throw strikes is huge,” Mulvey said. “It helps the confidence of the team.”
The Wildcats will travel to Indianapolis to face Butler University (10–21, 0–3 Big East) in a three-game conference series from April 11 to April 13.
“Hopefully, we can have a good week of practice,” Mulvey said. “And keep things rolling against Butler next week.”