The Wildcats put up crooked numbers in the third, fourth, and eighth innings, with the biggest blow coming off the bat of Jason Neff—a towering three-run homer in the eighth—that capped a five-run rally and propelled Villanova to a 12-9 win over South Florida at USF Baseball Stadium.
Neff finished 2-for-4 with a homer, two runs scored, and four RBIs. Austin Lemon added two hits, two runs, and two RBIs of his own. But as much as the offense made noise, the Wildcats' bullpen made sure it held up. Bobby Finn, Graham Moore, and Jake Francis combined for 5.2 shutout innings, allowing just four hits while striking out five. Francis took care of the ninth, securing his second save of the season.
Meanwhile, in Newark, it was a tale of two games for Penn.
The Quakers resumed their suspended home opener from Friday, but things didn’t go as planned. Delaware poured it on late, turning a close game into a 12-7 defeat for Penn. But in the regularly scheduled contest, the Quakers flipped the script.
Behind a stellar pitching performance, Penn scratched out a 2-1 victory, snapping a seven-game losing streak and finally breaking into the win column. The Blue Hens, who entered the day winners of three of their last four, dropped to 6-8.
And over at Smithson Field, the Saint Joseph’s offense refused to cool off.
For the second straight game, the Hawks put up double-digit runs and hits, rolling past Seton Hall, 10-5.
Colton Book, making his final start before conference play, delivered another quality outing, giving up three runs on four hits over 6 1/3 innings while striking out five to improve to 3-1. Offensively, Blake Primrose led the way with three hits, two runs scored, and two RBIs, while Joey Pagano added two hits, two RBIs, and two runs of his own.
Seton Hall starter Ryan Reich struggled, allowing four runs on five hits and four walks over three innings, falling to 0-3 on the season.
