Villanova University

Feb. 24, 2006

Ohio Box Score
Oakland Box Score

BURLINGTON, N.C. - Villanova (1-1) softball split in its first day at the Elon Invitational in Burlington, N.C. The team won the first game 6-0 against Ohio University (4-4) but fell to Oakland University 9-6 in the second. Junior captain Sheri Donley (Orange, Calif./Villa Park) led the team in hitting against Ohio while Greta Holmgren (Somerdale, N.J./Triton Regional) hit the team's first home run of the year in the nine inning battle with Oakland.

The Wildcats scored three runs in the third inning against Ohio and never looked back. Donley earned two RBI off of a double and sophomore Jackie Dempsey (Lexington, Mass./Lexington) knocked in one RBI with her hit. Holmgren scored the third run to make it 3-0.

In the sixth with two outs, the `Cats rallied to score three more runs. Lisa Curran (Las Vegas, Nev./The Meadows School), Carolyn Brown (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinnes Catholic) and Holmgren all scored while Donley hit her second double of the day to make the final 6-0.

Donley was the top hitter going 3-4 with two RBI and one run. Holmgren and Brown each went 2-3 combining for two runs and two RBI. The Wildcats had 10 hits and just one error while the Bobcats managed four hits and had three errors.

The Oakland game proved to be a different story as the teams took it to nine innings before the Golden Grizzlies rallied for the 9-6 win. Holmgren's two run homer helped the Wildcats to a 4-4 tie at the end of regulation before going into the international tie breaker. After one scoreless inning, Oakland drove in five runs in the ninth which was too much for Villanova, who had two in the bottom of the inning.

Freshman pitcher Laura Determan (San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernardo) notched both her first win and loss of her collegiate career in the two games.

The Wildcats play again Saturday taking on the tournament host, Elon (5-2), at 11:00 a.m. before playing an undetermined opponent at 3:30 p.m.