Sept. 26, 2004

By Kat Walsh, Villanova Softball

ALLENTOWN, Pa.-The Wildcat Softball team kicked off the Carole Weil tournament with wins against St. Peters (5-1), St. Joes (5-3), and Kutztown (5-3). Two of the three wins were come from behind victories. The wins have propelled the Wildcats to first place in their bracket. The CATS will open the Championship bracket against Bloomsburg at 11 a.m. Sunday morning at Patriots Park.

Game 1: Villanova 5 St. Peters 1
In the first game against St. Peters, the 'Cats started off quiet with only one hit by Lindsay Martin (Sammamish, Wa./Eastlake) in the first, and Cassie Koenig (Las Vegas, Nev./Silverado) in the second. The 'Cats then broke it open in the third with a lead off single by Jessica Curtis (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza), followed by a infield hit from Senior Krissy Yauch (Tuscon, Ariz./St.Gregory College Prep). After Martin advanced runners to second and third, Kari Koller (Rocklin, Calif./Del Oro) lined a base hit up the middle, scoring Curtis. Sheri Donley (Orange, Calif./Villa Park) followed with a sacrifice fly scoring Yauch. In the fourth inning, Veronica Alvarez (Miami, Fla./Carrollton) started 'Nova off with a lead off basehit. Jackie Dempsey (Lexington, Mass./Lexington) was put in as a pinch runner for Alvaraz and stole second base. After being advanced to third by Koenig, Kayla Felty (Schuylkill Haven, Pa./Nativity BVM) smashed an RBI hit scoring Dempsey. St. Peters scored one run off two hits in the 4th. In the 5th, Koller hit a three run homerun, right after a double by Martin. Overall the 'Cats posted twelve hits for the game. Alvarez, Koller, and Martin each had a pair of hits. Shannon Williams (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus) started the game pitching four and one third innings with 5 K's on a two hitter. Tiffany Ross (Medford, Ore./Phoenix)came in to close the game out.

Game 2: Villanova 5 St. Joes 3 In the second game against St. Joes, 'Nova had another slow start. Kristen Haynes (Fairfax, Calif./Sir Francis Drake) started the game, but was later relieved by Shannon Williams after St. Joes scored three in the third off of four hits. In the fourth, the 'Cats got one back from hits by Koller, Donley, Alveraz, and a sac fly by Curran. In the seventh, the inning started off with a lead off single by Lisa Curran, followed by a basehit by Kayla Felty and Krissy Yauch. Pinch hitter Cassie Koenig started her AB with an 0-2 count. She worked the count to 2-2. What followed was a grand slam homerun to take the lead against St. Joes 5-3.

Game 3: Villanova 5 Kutztown 3 In the third game against Kutztown, the 'Cats started off right away with a lead off basehit by Donley, followed with a hit by Dempsey. After Koller worked a walk, Allie Wisniewski scored one on a sacrifice fly to put the CATS on top, 1-0. In the fourth, Kutztown scored two runs off of two hits, a walk, and a passed ball off of Kristen Haynes. Haynes was relieved by Williams, where Williams gave up one hit to allow the third run to come in. The 'Cats came from behind again, with the help of Carolyn Brown, Jessica Curtis, Sheri Donley, and a three run RBI basehit by Koller. The game finished in a 5-3 victory for the 'Cats.

The Wildcats will return to action Sunday morning against Bloomsburg at 11:00 AM.