STORRS, Conn. – The Villanova Wildcats extended their stay at the 2023 BIG EAST Softball Championship Presented By JEEP, defeating the #1 Connecticut Huskies 4-3 in a semifinal contest on Friday night at Burrill Family Field.
Ava Franz led Villanova (37-21) with a pair of doubles and two runs on the evening, while Victoria Sebastian added two hits, a run and two RBI. Ally Jones also put forth a hit and RBI for the 'Cats, with Tess Cites contributing a solo shot to continue her sensational season.
Kelsey White picked up the victory in the circle after allowing just four hits in five-plus innings of work. Caroline Pellicano closed the door on the Huskies, working through two runner-in-scoring position situations to end the game and send VU to Championship Saturday.
The Wildcats got on the scoreboard in the opening frame, plating a pair of runs with a two-out rally. Franz doubled to the wall for the first baserunner, then Sebastian looped a single over the outstretched arm of an infielder for the game's inaugural tally.
Jones scored Sebastian on the next at bat, lining a single into left that fell just short of the diving outfielder's glove and was upheld upon review to allow VU's 2-0 advantage to stand.
Connecticut got two aboard in the second inning with a couple of singles, but could not plate any as White got a groundout and flyout to end the frame.
Cites extended Villanova's advantage in the next stanza, crushing a no-doubt home run to right center to grant the 'Cats a 3-0 edge.
Franz followed that up with her second double of the evening, then took third on a wild pitch. Sebastian once again came through out of the cleanup spot, singling home the sophomore for a four-run Wildcat lead.
The Huskies put a pair of runners on base in the fourth with a leadoff single and hit-by-pitch allowing batters to reach first and second. But White was able to get a pair of ground ball outs, allowing the Wildcats to stay up 4-0.
Chloe Smith's single was the lone hit for either side in the fifth as the score remained the same after that stanza.
Ryan Henry reached first base on an error and Brooklyn Ostrowski walked to earn two aboard in the Wildcats' half of the sixth, but they were unable to come around.
UConn put a pair of opening batters on the basepaths in the Huskies' chance, and White exited the circle to make way for Pellicano. The next hitter reached on a fielder's choice and the 'Cats neglected to get an out on the play so the bases were loaded.
A ground ball up the middle was snared by St. Jean and she tried to flip it to second base, but it went over Franz's head and trickled into the outfield to allow multiple runs to cross and bring the score to 4-2.
An ensuing sacrifice fly brought the tally to 4-3, then Pellicano punched out the next hitter to put two outs on the board. St. Jean recovered from her errors earlier in the frame to retire the final out of the inning, firing a strike across the diamond to keep VU's lead intact.
Cites drew a four-pitch walk to lead off the seventh, then Sebastian and Jones each worked long counts for bases on balls to load the bases with two outs. However, the 'Cats could not plate any and it was up to Pellicano to shut the door on the Huskies.
The first batter ripped a line drive out to center field that was tracked down by Madison Ostrowski, then a single was sent up the middle to give UConn a baserunner. Pellicano got the next hitter to fan on a third strike to put two down, and then a stolen base put a runner in scoring position.
But the junior hurler was not fazed by a runner just 120 feet away, as she delivered a backwards K with a knee-buckling changeup on a 3-2 count to send the Wildcats to the BIG EAST title contest.
Villanova will return to Championship Saturday for the third time in as many years. Since Bridget Orchard has been the head coach of the Wildcats, VU has never missed the BIG EAST Championship outside of 2020's cancelled season.
UP NEXT: The Wildcats advance to play for the conference championship, needing two victories over the Seton Hall Pirates tomorrow to three-peat as BIG EAST champions. The first game of the effort begins at 4 p.m. and airs on FS2. Game two would take place at 7 p.m. on FS1.
