March 3, 2006

NMSU Box Score
BCC Box Score

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. - In their second tournament of the season, the Wildcats split at the UCF Invitational, Friday, moving to 2-4 for the season. Villanova lost to New Mexico State (13-7) in the first game, 9-2, but were able to take the second game into 10 innings to get the win over Bethune-Cookman College (5-8), 5-4. This marked the second game of the season that has gone into extra innings for the Wildcats.

Against the Aggies, New Mexico got on the board first scoring three runs in the second inning. Villanova answered in the fourth inning when Jackie Dempsey (Lexington, Mass.) laid down a bunt, freshman Meghan Morese (Laguna Hills, Calif.) got on base off of an error and pitcher Laura Determan (San Diego, Calif.) brought one runner home off of her double. Greta Holmgren (Somerdale, N.J.) then came up and hit a single to left field to bring Morese home making it 3-2 New Mexico.

The Villanova defense only allowed one run until the sixth inning when the Aggies went on a tear bringing five in due to Wildcat miscues. The deficit was too much to overcome and the `Cats were held scoreless for the remainder of the game making the final 9-2.

Determan took the loss for Villanova who had a rough time at the plate with just five hits. Captain Cassie Koenig (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Determan had two of them both registering doubles.

The second game began like the first with Bethune-Cookman scoring a run in the bottom of the first off of errors, but the resilient Wildcats were not ready to give up, striking back in the top of the third. Jessica Curtis (Yorba Linda, Calif.) got on base off of a single, one hitter later lead-off Sheri Donley (Orange, Calif.) got on base off of an error that also allowed Curtis to score making it 1-1.

Bethune-Cookman went ahead again in the bottom of the inning and scored two more in the fifth making it 4-1. However, Villanova staged a rally in the top of the sixth to tie it up. Donley started it off getting on base from a walk and advancing to second on a wild pitch. Koenig knocked her in from of a single and stayed at first as Morese came up and hit one out of the park to drive in two runs making it 4-4.

The game continued into tie breakers before Morese came up in the tenth and played the hero for the second time of the day. Donley was the runner starting at second and sophomore Dempsey laid down a sacrifice bunt to place her at third. Koenig was walked putting two `Cats on before Morese hit a single that drove in the eventual winning run. Three strikeouts of five batters in the bottom of the inning solidified the victory for Villanova.

Kat Walsh (Los Angeles, Calif.) got her first win of the season in impressive fashion pitching six innings allowing four hits, no runs and notching five strikeouts.

Villanova has two games tomorrow. The first is against tournament host, UCF, and later in the day the Wildcats will play Creighton before advancing to tournament play on Sunday.