Villanova opened its season with a 10-6 win over Rice in the Puerto Rico Challenge on Friday night, fueled by key performances from newcomers.
Freshman Brayden Leonard belted his first career home run, graduate transfer Bobby Olsen dominated on the mound with seven strikeouts over six innings, and John Freitag delivered a clutch go-ahead single in the ninth.
Olsen held Rice (0-1) to one run on three hits, while Leonard’s defense helped keep the Owls in check. The Wildcats (1-0) broke a scoreless tie in the sixth with a two-out rally, capped by RBI singles from Jason Neff and Aidan Barry. Leonard’s solo shot in the seventh extended the lead to 5-1.
Rice responded with four runs in the bottom of the frame to tie the game, then took a 6-5 lead in the eighth. In the ninth, Villanova loaded the bases, and Freitag’s pinch-hit single put them back in front. Three walks and an error pushed the lead to 10-6.
Alec Sachais (1-0) earned the win, and Jake Francis picked up his first career save. Rice’s Garrett Stratton took the loss.
Elsewhere, Arcadia’s Jake Hendershot launched a three-run homer in his debut, but the Knights fell short in a 4-3 season-opening loss at Kean. Will Conroy took the loss, allowing four runs on five hits over 3.2 innings.
Saint Joseph’s also opened its season on Friday, suffering an 11-1 defeat to Coastal Carolina at Springs Brooks Stadium. Carson Applegate and Alex Kelsey recorded their first hits in a Hawks uniform.
