Wednesday, April 30
Bethlehem, Pa.
3:30 PM

Lehigh University

26-22

9
vs
8

Villanova

24-24-1

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Villanova
0
3
0
2
0
3
0
8
9
4
Lehigh
2
2
0
3
0
1
1
9
10
4
Peyton Sward 3595
Photo by: Jordan Adderley

Mountain Hawks Get Walk-Off Win Over Villanova in Home Finale

4/30/2025 6:59:00 PM | Softball

Box Score
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh's home finale for 2025 ended in a walk-off win Wednesday at Leadership Park. A throwing error by Villanova's Brooklyn Ostrowski following a sacrifice bunt by junior Crysta Duenas allowed sophomore Peyton Sward to score the winning run from second as Lehigh prevailed 9-8 in a back-and-forth game that saw both teams commit four errors, while the Mountain Hawks overcame four Wildcat home runs.
 
Sward and seniors Julia Mrochko and Rory Dudley all had two-hit games, with Mrochko and first-year Wrigley Fanter both driving in two runs on the day.
 
Lehigh improves to 26-22 on the season with its third consecutive victory.
 
The Mountain Hawks opened the home first inning with a double by first-year Kelly Fricker and a Mrochko walk. Senior Maddy Schmeiser grounded into a force play, with Fricker racing around third and scoring from second base on the play to give Lehigh a 1-0 lead. Senior Lindsey Martin struck out, but reached on a passed ball, prolonging the inning for Sward, who singled up the middle scoring Schmeiser to give Lehigh a 2-0 lead.
 
Villanova (24-24-1) took the lead with three runs in the top of the second, with Ava Mahnken's two-out, two-run single plating the tying and go-ahead runs.
 
Sophomore Holly Lovett led off the bottom of the second with a single and after a sacrifice bunt, came around to score when Fricker reached on a three-base error. Fricker scored on a sacrifice fly on a foul out by Mrochko to give the Mountain Hawks a 4-3 lead after two innings of play.
 
Back-to-back home runs by Kelsey White and Ostrowski gave Villanova a 5-4 lead in the fourth, but Lehigh answered immediately with three runs in the bottom half to take a 7-5 lead. Mrochko singled in first-year Helen Woloshyn to tie the game at 5-5 and then first-year Wrigley Fanter brought home two more runs with a single through the left side.
 
Ostrowski's second home run of the game, a two-run shot, tied the game at 7-7 in the sixth, and then Mahnken delivered another RBI single to give the Wildcats the lead.
 
The Mountain Hawks tied the game in the bottom of the sixth on a one-out single by Mrochko followed by a game-tying double by Dudley into the gap in right center.
 
Villanova threatened in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with nobody out, but first-year Madison Finnerty navigated the jam with a strikeout and two ground ball outs to keep the Wildcats off the scoreboard.
 
Sward led off the home seventh with an infield single and came all the way around to score on the error following the sacrifice bunt by Duenas.
 
Sophomore Maddy Clark started in the circle and allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits over three-plus innings. She walked two and struck out one. Senior Maria Urban followed with two scoreless innings of relief and Finnerty allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits over two innings.
 
With the four errors plus a passed ball, only five of Lehigh's nine runs were earned against Villanova pitching.
 
Mahnken and Ostrowski both had two hits and three RBIs for Villanova.
 
The Mountain Hawks will close out the regular season on Saturday with a non-league doubleheader at Mount St. Mary's beginning at noon. The games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
Follow Lehigh Softball on X/Twitter and Instagram and like on Facebook for exclusive updates throughout the season.
 

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Next Event

Mount St. Mary's
W, 6-1

May 3 (Sat)

11:00 AM
Box ScoreRecapWatchLive stats History
Full Schedule

Team Stats

Pitching:

W: Finnerty, Madison (13-7)

L: RUNCO, Maranda (2-3)

Villanova

Batting:

HR: REED, Grace 1 ; WHITE, Kelsey 1 ; OSTROWSKI, Brooklyn 2

RBI: MAHNKEN, Ava 3 ; REED, Grace 1 ; WHITE, Kelsey 1 ; OSTROWSKI, Brooklyn 3

Base Running:

RUNS: REED, Grace 1 ; WHITE, Kelsey 2 ; OSTROWSKI, Brooklyn 3 ; OSTROWSKI, Madison 1 ; GRAY, Elizabeth 1

HBP: BURROWS, Maddie 1

Lehigh LogoLehigh

Batting:

2B: Fricker, Kelly 1 ; Dudley, Rory 1

RBI: Mrochko, Julia 2 ; Dudley, Rory 1 ; Schmeiser, Maddy 1 ; Fanter, Wrigley 2 ; Sward, Peyton 1

SH: Duenas, Crysta 1 ; Woloshyn, Helen 1

SF: Mrochko, Julia 1

Base Running:

RUNS: Fricker, Kelly 2 ; Mrochko, Julia 2 ; Dudley, Rory 1 ; Schmeiser, Maddy 1 ; Sward, Peyton 1 ; Lovett, Holly 1 ; Woloshyn, Helen 1

SB: Dudley, Rory 1 ; Woloshyn, Helen 1

Game Leaders

13

Julia Mrochko

2b
AB
2
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
10

Rory Dudley

1b
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
23

Peyton Sward

ss
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
11

Kelly Fricker

rf
AB
4
R
2
H
1
RBI
0

Players Mentioned

3

Maddy Clark

P/IF
/ Softball
10

Rory Dudley

C/UT
/ Softball
15

Crysta Duenas

IF
/ Softball
6

Wrigley Fanter

C
/ Softball
11

Kelly Fricker

IF/OF
/ Softball
77

Holly Lovett

IF
/ Softball
7

Lindsey Martin

OF
/ Softball
13

Julia Mrochko

IF
/ Softball
20

Maddy Schmeiser

IF
/ Softball
23

Peyton Sward

IF
/ Softball
21

Maria Urban

P
/ Softball
9

Helen Woloshyn

OF
/ Softball

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