STORRS, Conn. – Villanova softball captured its first BIG EAST regular season title with a 4-2 victory over the Connecticut Huskies on Sunday afternoon, sweeping the series with the Huskies and securing the No. 1 overall championship in the conference.
Kelsey White had a big day for Villanova (27-20, 18-3 BIG EAST), scoring twice with a home run and RBI single while striking out four batters as VU’s starting pitcher.
Ali Jones added a pair of hits with a double in the contest while Chloe Smith added a pair of key knocks, including a two-sack single and RBI. Lilly St. Jean double up and win three free passes with Tess Cites reaching base three times on a base hit and two walks.
Alyssa Seidler threw a two-hit inning of relief as Caroline Pelicano continued her dominance in the circle with three shutout innings for the win and just a pair of hits allowed.
Connecticut won its first base game with a leadoff hit to left, but for the second straight game it was Jones who threw her out at second to record one out. White fanned the other two to face the minimum and end it as a scoreless first.
Lilly St. Jean ripped a pitch to center field in the second for a two-out lead and VU’s first runner, but the ‘Cats couldn’t capitalize as three strikeouts ended the opportunity.
UConn made them pay by starting the game’s scoring with a solo shot to start the home half of that frame, taking a 1-0 lead.
That wouldn’t last long though, as White helped herself, crushing the first pitch of the third period out of the yard for her second sack of the year and a game-tying run.
After White hit an infield single for a scoreless third, St. Jean was hit by a pitch and Smith doubled to get a pair in scoring position. White stepped up and singled again, lining a base hit to left to score one and give her team a 2-1 advantage.
The Huskies didn’t wait long to get it going, answering in the bottom half with a single, three walks and a game-tying sacrifice fly before Seidler stranded the bases loaded with a hit by the BIG EAST’s leading hitter.
UConn brought in a new pitcher who walked Cites on four pitches, surrendered a Jones double and walked St. Jean for the bases loaded. The home team brought the starting pitcher back in and she got the two needed outs, keeping it tied at two.
Brooklyn Ostrowski She singled at third to open the sixth and was fouled for a VU runner, but White soon replaced her with a fielder’s choice. With two outs, Cites rocketed back to the pitcher for a single before Elaina Wagner delivered a grounder up the middle to score White and give Villanova a 3-2 advantage.
Jones singled and St. Jean walked a pair of bases-loaded runners in the seventh, then Smith roped a single down the third-base line to score an insurance run and send Pellicano back to the rubber with a two-run edge.
Connecticut got a leadoff line drive up the middle for an early base runner, but the senior right-hander induced a flyout before Ava Franz turned a 6-6-3 double play that ended to give the Wildcats their first BIG EAST regular season title.
NEXT: The Wildcats play one more conference series before heading to Providence for the BIG EAST Championship, hosting the Butler Bulldogs from May 3-5 with Senior Day set for Saturday’s game.