March 3, 2006

Box Score

BRADENTON, Fla. - Junior starting pitcher Kevin Mulvey (Parlin, N.J.) allowed just one hit over five scoreless innings and Villanova (3-4) broke out offensively on Friday afternoon in a 15-12 victory over Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne (1-2) at Academy Park. The Wildcats were playing the first of five games in Bradenton during their Spring Break trip to Florida.

Villanova wasted no time getting on the board in the bottom of the first inning, scoring six times to quickly break the game open. Three run-scoring singles started things for the Wildcats, and a two-run home run by redshirt junior Jim Gillin (Broomall, Pa.) was the big hit in the inning.

Gillin and sophomore James Dolbier (Lebanon, N.J.) each drove in four runs on the day, as all nine starters in the lineup reached base at least twice. Gillin added a two-run double in the seventh inning and Dolbier scored two runs with a triple during a five-run fourth inning.

After Villanova's outburst of runs in the first inning, the pitching of Mulvey (2-1, 4.20 ERA) kept the Mastodons off-balance through the first five innings. Mulvey struck out six and walked none in his outing.

Sophomores Ryan Arcadia (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) and Derek Shunk (Yardley, Pa.) had three hits apiece and the Wildcats added two final runs in the seventh inning to put the game just out of IPFW's reach. Shunk scored three times and drove in two runs, including an RBI single in the first inning that brought home the game's first run.

After Mulvey's departure, the Mastodons got to the Villanova bullpen, scoring six times in the sixth inning to draw within 13-6. IPFW threatened again in the top of the seventh with two hits and a walk, but wound up leaving the bases loaded. In the bottom of the seventh, Dolbier and sophomore Gus Guida (Martinsville, N.J.) were successively hit by pitches with two outs and none on, and Gillin followed with his two-run double. Guida finished the day 2-for-3 with two runs.

Mastodon starter Jake Hollander lasted 3.1 innings and gave up eight earned runs on seven hits and six walks. Villanova drew 10 walks and struck out just two times against four IPFW pitchers.

The Wildcats play Central Michigan at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. All five games during the trip to Florida will be played at Academy Park.