VILLANOVA, Pa. – Villanova softball began its final weekend of the regular season with a win, defeating the Providence Friars 8-5 on Friday at the Villanova Softball Complex.
ava franz led the way for Villanova (33-20, 16-6 BIG EAST) with a solo homer, triple, two RBIs and three runs scored as the Wildcats put runs on the board in every inning except the first. tess quote added two hits and three RBIs for VU, with sydney hayes batting in the other Villanova run.
gallant kat picked up the win for the ‘Cats after striking out four in five innings, while carolina pelican he threw two frames in the circle, yielding one run on the day.
After a scoreless leadoff inning, it was a high-scoring second inning as Providence struck first with a one-out walk and a two-out single that put runners on base, then brought the count to 2- 0 by scoring with a double to the wall.
Victoria Sebastian got Villanova started in their second stanza with a liner single down the left side, then Franz picked up a ball that caught the top of the fence and bounced away from the outfielder to hit a three-pointer for Sebastian.
After lilly san john hit on an infield single, sydney hayes he threw a pitch over the left fielder’s head to bring Franz home, tying the game, and putting two runners in scoring position.
dani dabroski he then hit a pitch to shortstop, who tagged out St. Jean at the plate, but Dabroski drove the pitch to second base, allowing Hayes to score, and Dabroski returned the pitch to first to keep the inning moving.
That Villanova lead would not last long, however, as Providence’s top hitter, Jacque Harrington, hit the first pitch of her at-bat out of the park to tie the game 3–3 in the third inning.
Franz snatched that lead from the ‘Cats in his next opportunity at the plate, continuing his hot streak by smashing a liner over the wall to give his squad a one-run lead.
The Friars threatened again in the fourth with a leadoff double and an infield single that put runners on the corners. Gallant induced a popout to third, then PC tried to force VU into an error by stealing second, but Franz tagged out the runner at home before Gallant’s strikeout ended the threat.
Villanova extended their lead in the home half of that stanza, with St. Jean getting hit by a pitch and reaching third on a wild pitch and pass before Dabroski’s walk sent the runners to the corners. The senior stole second easily, so a Cites liner single brought both runners home to put VU up 6-3.
Providence loaded the bases on the visitors’ chances in the fifth with a double, walk and an error by St. Jean, but the rookie shortstop made up for it by going to left field to track down a popup and end the inning.
ally jones he led off Villanova’s hacks with a single down the left-field line, then a pair of fielder’s picks got Franz to first base on two downs. ryan henry he then doubled down the right-field line to put two in scoring position before Franz scored his third run of the day on a pass.
Hayes led off the Wildcats’ final chances with a walk, then came up with a stolen base. Cites rallied once again for Villanova by sending a shout over the fence for an RBI double to give his team an 8-3 lead.
PC rallied a pair back in the final frame, loading the bases and setting up two on a single and a fly ball, but Pellicano made a jump ball to end the game in an 8–5 Villanova victory.
UNTIL NEXT TIME: Two more games are scheduled for the series between Villanova and Providence, with 12 p.m. contests scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. Saturday is Senior Day, where the ‘Cats will honor their senior class of 2023, and Sunday is Alumni Day for the alumni of VU’s softball program.