This weekend, Villanova’s baseball team traveled to Nashville to face Lipscomb, hoping to improve on its 1-2 start. The Wildcats ultimately tied the series 1-1, as the third game was canceled due to weather concerns.
The first game started with senior Collin Quintano hitting a double for the game’s first run, giving Villanova a 1-0 lead.
The Bison tied it, 1-1, in the bottom of the first. Over the next four innings, Villanova’s Jake Francis held Lipscomb to only a 3-1 lead as Villanova looked to rally heading into the fifth.
After Francis was taken out, Nova’s J.P. Podgorski was put in and continued to hold the Bison’s offense.
“Jake did a great job pitching ahead in the count, mixing his pitches and pitching to contact, giving us a great chance to win,” head coach Kevin Mulvey said.
In the seventh, senior Michael Whooley hit a two-run home run to tie things up at 3-3. Sophomore Brayden Leonard knocked in a run with a single, and Quintano later singled to left, giving the Wildcats a 5-3 lead.
Lipscomb then launched a two-run home run to tie the game in the eighth, and later forced extra innings.
Redshirt sophomore Austin Lemon started the tenth for Villanova with a bases-loaded walk to make it 6-5, followed by a two-run single from sophomore Brayden Leonard to extend the lead.
Quintano hit a three-run home run to cap off the six-run breakout inning.
“Collin has done a great job working hard to improve himself,” Mulvey said. “Coach Brown works with him and all of the hitters extensively. He’s also done a good job getting himself into leverage counts and not missing his pitches when it comes to him.”
Senior Bobby Finn struck out the side in the bottom of the inning to give the Wildcats a statement win, 11-5.
“That’s as sharp as I’ve ever seen Bobby,” Mulvey said. “I’m happy for him and proud of him. That was fun to watch him dominate like he did.”
The following day, the Bison came back and opened the game with a two-run first inning, scoring on a sacrifice fly and a Villanova throwing error.
It took three innings for the Wildcats to find their rhythm and score, with redshirt sophomore Mark Gialluisi singling to score Villanova’s second run and tie the game.
Following a shut-down four innings from graduate pitcher Jack Kelley, Villanova began a six-run sixth inning. Gialluisi had an RBI, and Lemon hit a two-run double to get things started around the bases.
Shortly after, Leonard’s two-run double paired, and graduate Carter Richey’s RBI single capped off the inning.
“It’s great to see our guys have success, and we will continue to lean on everyone to contribute,” Mulvey said.
However, the Wildcats’ 8-2 lead only lasted the break as Lipscomb responded in the bottom of the inning with five runs in the sixth. With Lipscomb now trailing 8-7, Villanova was unable to continue its campaign in the seventh and gave up another run to tie the game at 8-8.
“The offense has done a great job so far in these two series of staying within the approach and controlling the zone,” Mulvey said. “Good pitchers will certainly get us out at times, but when we stay within the approach, we will extend at-bats. Get that starter’s pitch count up, and put the ball in play to put pressure on their defense”.
The game ended in the bottom of the eighth as Lipscomb knocked a sacrifice fly that would end up being the final run, as Villanova failed to respond in the ninth. The game ended with a score of 9-8.
Next, Villanova will face Florida Atlantic.
“We are not concerned with the other teams,” Mulvey said. “We’re more interested in our process and the things we can control.”
Villanova will face Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton, FL, on Feb. 27.
