ATLANTA, Ga. — The Villanova softball team opened the 2026 campaign with two losses to No. 16 Alabama and Georgia Tech Thursday. 

Both losses on the day were in run-rule fashion, with the Crimson Tide (1-0) winning 17-0 in five and the Yellow Jackets (1-0) winning 8-0 in six. 

Kat Gallant got her first start of the season against Alabama, going 2 2/3 innings, walking two, striking out two and surrendering 10 earned runs on 10 hits. 

A pair of 'Cats freshmen made their debuts in the circle as Maggie King and Carly Zych pitched the remainder of the contest. 

King pitched an inning and gave up four earned runs on four hits. Zych pitched 1 1/3, striking out one and giving up two runs on three hits. 

Villanova reached base twice in the contest, first in the third inning on a Kendall Spivey walk and second on a Katie Reed walk in the bottom of fifth in her collegiate debut.

The Crimson Tide opened up the game in the third inning, scoring 10 runs on four home runs. Alabama then scored four in the fourth and two in the fifth to round out the scoring in the contest. 

Vic Moten took the win for the Crimson Tide. Gallant took her first loss in the contest. 

Lexi Kobryn started her first game of the season in the nightcap against Georgia Tech. Kobryn, who received the loss in the game, pitched five innings, striking out two, walking three and giving up five earned runs on seven hits. 

Kobryn held the Yellow Jackets scoreless in the first inning, escaping a jam with two runners on.

Lilly St. Jean picked up her first hit of the season in the top of the second on a bloop to shallow right before being stranded. 

After Georgia Tech loaded the bases in the second, the Yellow Jackets scored via a sacrifice fly before Kobryn forced a groundout to third to get out of the inning. 

A scoreless third inning saw both teams go down in order. 

VU got two runners on after a Maranda Runco walk and Maddie Burrows hit-by-pitch in the top of the fourth, but the Yellow Jackets once again held the 'Cats offense.

Georgia Tech extended its lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth after three runs came across against Kobryn. 

Madison Ostrowski led the top of the fifth off with a double in the right-center gap, but was held at second by the Yellow Jackets.

In Kobryn's final inning of work, Georgia Tech scored on an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth. 

After a scoreless top half of the frame, Sophia Mount made her season debut in the circle, walking three consecutive batters before exiting the game for Runco. 

A sacrifice fly and two-run double ended the contest as Villanova fell 8-0 to the Yellow Jackets.

Madalyn Johnson took the win for Georgia Tech in six innings of shutout work in the circle.

Up Next

Villanova continues its weekend at the Buzz Classic, facing off against East Carolina (0-0) at 11 a.m. before a rematch with the Yellow Jackets at 4 p.m. rounds out the day.