PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. -- The comeback came in waves.
Trailing early, falling behind again in the middle innings and still down entering the late frames, Villanova finally seized control with a four-run eighth inning Tuesday afternoon, completing a 14–10 victory over La Salle in a high-scoring home opener at Villanova Ballpark.
John Freitag delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the eighth to give the Wildcats their first lead of the afternoon before Jack Roventini followed with another run-scoring single. Mark Gialluisi then broke the game open with a two-run single as Villanova turned a 10–10 tie into a four-run cushion before darkness ended the contest after eight innings.
The late rally capped a game that featured constant momentum swings between the two Philadelphia programs.
La Salle appeared firmly in control early. After Carter Groen lifted a sacrifice fly in the first inning, Justin Szestowicki launched a three-run home run to left to give the Explorers a quick 4–0 advantage. Villanova answered immediately when Michael Whooley homered in the bottom half of the inning, but La Salle stretched the lead to 6–1 in the third on Alec Welshans’ two-run homer.
The Wildcats responded with a rally of their own. Whooley delivered a two-run double in the third before Villanova erased the deficit entirely in the fourth. Brayden Leonard lined a two-run double into the left-center gap to tie the game at 6–6.
The lead continued to change hands from there. Welshans struck again in the fifth with his second home run of the game, a two-run shot that put La Salle back in front. Villanova countered with two runs of its own on RBI singles from Larry Hotaling and Roventini.
La Salle regained a 10–8 lead in the sixth, but Villanova chipped away when Austin Lemon scored on a wild pitch before Gialluisi tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the seventh.
From there, the Wildcats finally took control.
Villanova finished with 13 hits, led by Leonard’s three-hit performance and a three-RBI afternoon from Whooley. Roventini also collected three hits while driving in two runs.
Graham Moore earned the win in relief, striking out three in a scoreless inning to keep the game tied before Villanova’s decisive rally.
The victory improved Villanova to 5–8 on the season, while La Salle has lost five straight and sit at 8-7.
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