PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. – For just the second time in program history, the Villanova University baseball team has won its fifth consecutive three-game series with a 10-3 win over NJIT on Sunday afternoon (March 16) at Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth.
The Wildcats (10-8) have taken two of three games against Winthrop, Lipscomb, South Florida and NJIT this season, and beat Xavier two of three times to end the season in 2024.
Freshman
Brayden Leonard's grand slam in the third inning highlighted his two-hit, four-RBI performance. Fellow first-year
JoJo Montgomery celebrated his birthday by going 4-for-4 with two RBI and two stolen bases.
On the mound,
Jake Francis and
Alec Sachais split the game almost evenly, throwing 4.1 and 4.2 innings on 67 and 68 pitches, respectively. Sachais shut down the Highlanders (8-10) in the second half of the game, allowing no runs and only three hits and one walk.
HOW IT HAPPENED
For the third straight game, NJIT was first on the scoreboard using a double and a single to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the second.
The Wildcats answered in the third inning, putting five runs on the board. Montgomery got the rally started when he beat the throw home after a ground ball to third base. Then, after
Jason Neff walked to load the bases, Leonard launched a home run over the left field wall, giving Villanova a 5-1 lead it would not relinquish.
NJIT added runs in the fourth and fifth innings to pull within two, however RBI singles by Montgomery and
Connor Hale in the bottom of the sixth nullified the Highlanders' middle innings push.
Michael Whooley was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, pushing the Wildcats' lead to 8-3.
After Sachais set NJIT down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh, Leonard laced a double down the left field to lead off the bottom half of the inning. He advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of
Tyler Shaw. Later in the inning, Montgomery hit another RBI single to score
Aidan Barry, bringing Villanova's lead to 10-3.
Sachais allowed only two hits the rest of the way and stranded both baserunners to seal the win for the Wildcats. With the win, he improved to 3-1 on the season. NJIT starter Brandon Peterson fell to 1-2 with the loss.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Villanova is now 3-0 in series-deciding Sunday games this season.
- Third baseman Michael Whooley has extended his hitting streak to eight games.
- Leonard now ranks second among Wildcats in home runs (4) and RBI (13)
UP NEXT
The Wildcats will close a five-game home stand on Wednesday (March 19) against Princeton at Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth. The game will begin at 3:15 p.m. and will be streamed live on FloSports.
