May 6, 2003

SALEM, VA.- On Thursday, May 8, at 5:00 PM, the No. 3 seeded Villanova University softball team (32-13-1 overall, 13-7 Big East) will open up Big East tournament play against the No. 2 seeded Boston College Eagles (32-18 overall, 14-5 Big East). The two teams met earlier in the season, splitting the doubleheader.

BIG EAST SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP- James I. Moyer Complex, Salem, Va.

 Thursday, May 8
Game 1- No. 2 Boston College vs. No. 3 Villanova 5:00PM
Game 2- No.1 Notre Dame vs. No. 4 Seton Hall 7:00PM
Friday, May 9
Game 3- Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2    3:00PM
Game 4- Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2       5:00PM
Game 5-Loser Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4       7:00PM
Saturday, May 10
Game 6- Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5       3:00PM
Game 7- Same teams as Game 6, if necessary   5:00PM

LAST TIME OUT: Villanova concluded Big East regular season play splitting both weekend series at Notre Dame (W 7-6, L 3-0) and Syracuse (W 3-1, L 7-6). Their 7-6 win in the first game over the Irish marked just the third time in school history the Wildcats have prevailed, and just the second time ever Villanova has emerged victorious at Ivy Field. In the nightcap, the Wildcat offense could muster only two hits and fell, 3-0. In Syracuse, Robin Flier ripped a bases-loaded double to give Villanova a 2-0 lead, proving to be the eventual game winning RBI. Syracuse's Christina Holowich gave the Orangewomen a 7-6 victory with her RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning in the second game.

THIS SEASON VS. BOSTON COLLEGE: On April 6, the Wildcats and Eagles met in Chestnut Hill with each team taking a game of the doubleheader. Jennifer Asbury and Lisa Fisher each hit home runs to lead Boston College to a 5-2 victory in game one. Lisa Krueger had a two-run homer to account for the 'Cats' only runs. In the nightcap, the Eagles jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a grand slam from Erin Mackey. Ricci Lugo put the Wildcats on the board with a solo homer, but the Eagles scored two more runs to take a 6-1 lead into the sixth inning. Sarah Wall cut the Boston College lead to four with an RBI single and one inning later, Villanova rallied for five runs to take a 7-6 lead. Wall and Sara Carlson each had two-RBI singles, while a Krueger RBI single accounted for the other Villanova run. The Eagles came back to tie the game at seven in their last at bat on an RBI single from Mackey. Wall's single in the top of the eighth scored Krueger and gave Villanova an 8-7 lead. The Wildcats scored two more runs to claim a 10-7 victory.

THIS SEASON VS. NOTRE DAME: This past weekend, the Wildcats traveled to South Bend and split with the Fighting Irish. Villanova jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the third on a two-run home run from Kari Koller. The Wildcats would add two more runs in the top of the fourth before Notre Dame scored a run in the bottom of the inning. Villanova got on the board for one more run in the top of the fifth when Flier ripped a bases-loaded single to center field. The RBI would hold up as the game winner as the Irish scored four times in the bottom of the fifth and once in the bottom of the seventh. In the nightcap, the Irish scored all the runs they would need in the bottom of the first on RBI singles from Andrea Loman and Andria Bledsoe. Notre Dame added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth, bringing the score to 3-0 where it would stay.

THIS SEASON VS. SETON HALL: On Saturday, March 29, rain forced the Villanova Softball team to postpone the second game of its doubleheader with Seton Hall. The Pirates won the first game, 3-0. Game two was halted in the bottom of the fourth with no score and Wildcat designated player Krissy Yauch at the plate. In the first game, Seton Hall pitcher Christina Shanko kept the Wildcat hitters off balance all game, scattering two hits, singles by Lisa Krueger and Sarah Wall. The nightcap was resumed on April 18, and with a steady rain falling, Krueger led off the bottom of the ninth with a homer to straight away center field, giving Villanova the 1-0 victory.

VILLANOVA IN THE BIG EAST TOURNAMENT: This appearance marks Villanova's 9th in the Big East tournament and its fourth consecutive trip. Last season, the Wildcats led off the tournament with a thrilling 3-2, 8 inning victory over Syracuse on a Ricci Lugo RBI single. Villanova then dropped a 3-0 decision to Virginia Tech and a 6-4 decision to Notre Dame for elimination. The Wildcats have advanced to the championship game just once, when they were on the losing end of a 9-0 contest against Connecticut in the 1993 Big East Tournament.

LEADOFF LUGO: Junior shortstop Ricci Lugo has established herself as a legitimate contender for Big East Player of the Year honors. Lugo has been tearing it up in conference play, recording a .457 batting average with 8 doubles, a triple and four homers. Lugo has also knocked in 13 runs and has an astounding .771 slugging percentage. Overall, Lugo leads the team with a .429 average, 63 hits and 12 doubles.