Box Score PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The Villanova softball team defeated Penn 16-11 Wednesday at Penn Park. 

The 'Cats scored the second most runs they have in 2026, trailing only the 17 they scored against Bucknell Feb. 28. 

Lexi Kobryn (W, 4-11) started the contest and re-entered with two outs, pitching 6 1/3, striking out two, walking one and giving up three earned runs on 12 hits.

VU struck first, scoring two runs in the first inning on a two-run home run by Maranda Runco. 

Runco's home run was the 30th of her career. She becomes the fifth player in program history to reach the 30 homer mark and stands alone in fifth place in all-time home runs, trailing Ryan Henry (31) by one for fourth all-time.

Villanova made it 3-0 in the top of the second on Ava Mahnken's third home run of the season. 

Penn (16-22) responded in the bottom of the third, scoring a run to make it 3-1. 

The Quakers scored again in the bottom of the third on a solo home run to make it 3-2. 

With their lead diminished to one run, the 'Cats scored twice in the top of the fourth on a Mackenzie Waghorn RBI single before Katie Reed scored on an errant throw from left field to make it a 5-2 contest. 

Penn scored again in the bottom of the fourth to make it 5-3. 

Villanova broke the game open in the top of the fifth, scoring seven runs, the second most the team has scored in a single inning this season. 

The scoring started on a Grace Reed RBi single, followed by a Mahnken single which scored one before another errant throw which scored two more runs to make it 8-3. Mahnken scored on a Waghorn sacrifice fly. 

Maddie Burrows rounded out the inning with a three-run home run to make it 12-3. 

The Quakers scored seven runs in the bottom of the fifth to keep the game alive, with the score sitting at 12-10.

Katie Reed hit her fifth home run of the season in the top of the sixth, giving VU a 13-10 lead. 

Penn responded in the bottom of the sixth, hitting a solo home run to make it a 13-11 game. 

Madison Ostrowski hit a three-run home run, her second of the season and third of her career to extend the Villanova lead to 16-11.

Kobryn closed out the game in the bottom of the seventh and rounded out the high-scoring win. 

Up Next

Villanova heads to Providence to play its penultimate BIG EAST series against the conference-leading Friars Friday through Sunday.