PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The University of Pennsylvania softball team fell to Villanova in the final non-conference game of the year, 16-11. The win for Villanova brings them to 11-35 while the loss for Penn drops them to 16-11.
 
Quaker Notemeal
* The Quakers produced a season-high 18 hits against the Wildcats.
 
* Six different Quakers had a multi-hit game (Gigi Ganje, Delaney Smith, Jade Montgomery, Hannah Graveline, Megan Huang, Jaz Johnson).
 
* Gigi Ganje and Jade Montgomery both had three-RBI games today.
 
How It Happened
If you like offense, this was your game and then some. Both the Quakers and Wildcats brought the firepower to Penn Park in this one, combining for 27 runs and 31 hits.
 
Villanova wasted no time opening the scoring, when Maranda Runco launched a two-tun home on the second at-bat of the game. The Wildcats added to the lead when Ava Mahnken also homered to make it 3-0 in the second inning.
 
Penn would begin its offensive day with a Megan Huang single that would score Hannah Graveline and make it 3-1. A Delaney Smith home run in the bottom of the third cut the lead to one.
 
In the fourth inning, miscues on the Penn defense got the better of them when an error allowed two runs to score. They would make up for it in the bottom of the frame when Jade Montgomery drove a run home, bringing the total to 5-3 through four.
 
Despite the high scoring volume to this point in the game, the fifth inning is when the game hit another level. The Wildcats poured on the offense, scoring seven runs in the inning in a variety of ways. Between base hits, errors, sacrifice flies, and home runs, the Wildcats ended with seven runs on five hits, even leaving two on base to bring the tally to 12-3.
 
Entering the bottom of the fifth in run rule territory, the Quakers answered the bell, producing an equivalent seven runs of their own. Gigi Ganje drove home two with a single with Jade Montgomery did the same. Hannah Graveline brought a run in with a single, one of four hits she accrued on the day. The final run of the inning came from a Wildcat error, making the score 12-10 in an explosive fifth inning.
 
Despite the efforts to come back, Penn could only bring one more run home to Villanova's four, giving the game its 16-11 final.
 
Up Next
Penn will need to keep the offense hot as they look towards Columbia this weekend in a pivotal Ivy clash.