Feb. 18, 2005

Final Stats

SAVANNAH, Ga. - The host Tigers broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the eighth inning, and defeated Villanova (0-1) Tuesday afternoon at Grayson Field. Savannah State (9-2) scored a pair of runs with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to account for the game's only runs.

Gerald Smith led off the bottom of the eighth with a walk, and eventually advanced to third on a wild pitch and a groundout. With two outs and runners at first and third, Rudy Rodriguez hit a soft liner that glanced off the glove of pitcher Nate Hall. The deflected ball landed between the mound and the shortstop, and Rodriguez beat out the throw to first, allowing Smith to score from third. Later in the inning, the Tigers added a run on a bases-loaded walk.

Senior pitcher Nick Allen tossed five scoreless innings for the Wildcats. He limited Savannah State to four hits, while issuing four walks and striking out six. Allen was able to work out of jams in the third and fifth innings, as the Tigers stranded 11 runners in the game.

Allen's final inning of work may have been his most impressive, as he escaped a jam where the Tigers had runners at second and third with one out. Allen threw a ball on the outside corner for a called third strike for the second out, and then induced a ground ball to first base to end the inning.

Savannah State starter Carlos Markyna pitched a two-hit shutout, retiring 27 of the 29 batters that faced him. Markyna held Villanova to just a pair of singles, and retired the last 11 Wildcat batters of the game to earn his second win of the season.

Sophomore catcher Andy Wendle and senior second baseman Mark Cardillo (Naples, Fla.) had the Villanova hits.

The Wildcats return to action on Saturday evening with a 6 p.m. game against Virginia Tech.