VILLANOVA, Pa. – Villanova softball saw its win streak snapped at 10 games on Sunday as the Wildcats suffered a 9-5 defeat to the UConn Huskies.
Kat Gallant and Kelsey White did the pitching for Villanova (18-14, 5-2 BIG EAST), with White earning the loss despite allowing just three earned runs in 3.2 innings. Gallant, the starter, struck out one and allowed eight hits in 3.1 innings of work.
There were fireworks early at the Villanova Softball Complex, as the two sides combined for four home runs in the opening frame.
The Huskies went back-to-back in their half of the stanza, securing an early 3-0 lead.
But the Wildcats were not to be outdone at their home park, as Tess Cites lifted the first strike of her at bat over the wall in right center field for her first dinger of the year. After Chloe Smith turned a 1-2 count into a walk, Ally Jones blasted the opening pitch of her plate appearance over the left field fence to tie the ballgame at 3-3.
Both pitchers settled in for a scoreless second stanza despite a Dani Dabroski double for VU, and Gallant worked through a one-out single to keep UConn at three through the third frame.
Jones worked an eight-pitch walk to give VU its first base runner of inning three, but was thrown out at third when Lilly St. Jean doubled to left center. Ryan Henry then delivered the 'Cats their first lead, blasting a moonshot to center field and putting her squad up 5-3.
Connecticut snatched back the advantage in the fourth inning, though, putting up a four-spot on five hits and two errors to lead 7-5.
The Wildcats looked to take back a few tallies in their half of that stanza, as Victoria Sebastian singled and White walked to put two runners on. Dabroski ripped a pitch down the left field, but the outfielder tracked it down and doubled off Sebastian at second to end VU's chances.
The Huskies added to that lead in the sixth, with an infield single and a double to the left field corner bringing another tally around. UConn's cleanup hitter Jana Sanden then began the final frame with her second home run of the contest, delivering a 9-5 edge.
In the 'Cats' last hacks, Connecticut's freshman pitcher Hope Jenkins put them down 1-2-3 to deliver a victory for the Huskies.
UP NEXT: Villanova and UConn have two more contests scheduled for the weekend, matching up at 3 p.m. on Saturday and noon on Sunday at the Villanova Softball Complex.
