photo courtesy of Mark Campbell

Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

NEWARK, Del. -- NEWARK, Del. -- Blue Hen junior Caitlin Smith (at right) drilled a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning of the nightcap as Delaware earned a 3-2 victory and a doubleheader split with Villanova Tuesday afternoon at Delaware Field.

The Wildcats, who are now 15-8 on the season, used an eight-run sixth inning to win the opener, 12-3 in six innings.

Delaware, now 9-12 on the year, trailed 2-0 in the second game until the bottom of the fifth inning, when pinch hitter Mary Ann Magee drilled a solo homer to leftfield, the second longball of her career. With one out in the bottom of the sixth inning Kim Ovittore doubled to left, prompting the Wildcats to replace starting pitcher Molly Manning with Caitlyn Delahaba.

Michelle Kenney greeted Delahaba with a line drive to third that was caught by Kristi Burlin, but Smith followed by crushing a ball over the leftfield fence, her second career round-tripper to put the Blue Hens in front, 3-2.

The Wildcats’ Jackie Dempsey reached on an error to lead off the top of the seventh, but Delaware pitcher Amanda Stacevicz retired the next three Villanova batters to end the game.

Stacevicz improved to 3-6 with the victory after she gave up two runs on six hits while posting three strikeouts. Manning allowed two earned runs and struck out seven in 5.1 innings of work for the Wildcats while Delahaba, who received both decisions on the day and is now 10-7, was charged with one earned run on one hit in two-thirds of an inning.

Villanova had taken the lead in the top of the second when Burlin led off with a walk, went to second on a singled by Eryn Teague, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Tessa Braga, and scored on a single to right by Becky LaMarca. Braga led off the fourth with a single, and after she stole second and went to third on a wild pitch, she scored when Danielle Maricle reached on an error to give the Wildcats a two-run lead.

Delaware struck first in the opener by pushing across two runs in the bottom of the first inning. With two outs Michelle Grap drilled a sole home run to centerfield, her second of the season. Grap already is tied for fifth in Delaware history with eight career homers.

After Ovittore then reached on a Villanova error, she came around to score on a double to deep centerfield by Kenney to make it a 2-0 game.

However the Wildcats would take the lead for good by scoring four runs in the top of the fourth inning. Jess O’Boyle led off with a walk, and singles by Burlin and Teague loaded the bases with nobody out. Christina Botkins then doubled home two runs to tie the game, and Meghan Morese followed with an RBI single to put Villanova in front. Following a groundout Botkins scored when Braga reached on an infield single to put the Wildcats ahead 4-2.

The Blue Hens pulled within a run in the fifth when Grap led off with a walk, advanced to second on a single by Ovittore, and scored on a two-out single to center by Shanette White.

However Villanova would put the game away by scoring eight runs in the top of the sixth. After a Morese single and a Lauren Peterson double, Natalie Hord smacked a three-run homer to make it a 7-3 game. Nicole Gregus then relieved UD starting pitcher Anne Marie Pagano in the circle, but she allowed a two-run double to Teague and a three-run home run to Morese in the inning.

Pagano dropped to 6-5 for Delaware after allowing seven earned runs on 10 hits in five innings, while Gregus was charged with five runs on four hits in one inning of work.

Kenney finished 2 for 3 with an RBI for the Blue Hens while Grap was 1 for 2 with an RBI and two runs scored.

The Blue Hens return to action on Thursday with a 3 p.m. doubleheader at La Salle.