March 4, 2008

Box Score

BRADENTON, Fla. - Senior James Dolbier (Lebanon, N.J.) hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to complete the second comeback of the day and Villanova (2-6) hung on in the final innings for a 10-8 victory over Bowling Green (1-6) at Academy Park on Tuesday afternoon.

The Wildcats scored five runs with two outs in the sixth to close the scoring in a game that featured plenty of offense through the early and middle innings. Freshman Dain Hall (Barrington, Ill.) led off the sixth with a walk but the inning was in danger of stalling after the next two batters were retired.

However, junior Matt McFolling (Chicago, Ill.) was hit by a pitch and senior Derek Shunk (Yardley, Pa.) worked out a walk to load the bases. Senior Dan Terpak (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) went to a full count before lining a 3-and-2 pitch back up the middle to plate two runs and make the score 8-7.

Right-handed relief pitcher Dusty Hawk was left in the game to face the left-handed hitting Dolbier and quickly got a head in the count 0-and-2. One pitch later, Dolbier drilled a 1-and-2 pitch through a steady wind and over the fence in right field to return the lead to Villanova.

The game battled weather conditions and daylight in addition to three lead changes. After the top of the first inning was completed the contest was delayed for more than two hours first by lightning in the area and then by a brief rainfall. Action restarted at 3:17 p.m. and a game that lasted over three hours pushed the final minutes of daylight before ending.

The Falcons scored three times in the top of the second inning to establish an early lead but the Wildcats came back with four runs of their own in the bottom half. The first four Villanova hitters singled to start the bottom of the second and all four scored. Hall and junior Joe Rosati (Havertown, Pa.) reached on run-scoring infield hits, Rosati scored on a balk and McFolling drove in a run with a groundout.

Bowling Green tied the game in the third inning and went back ahead with four runs in the top of the fourth. After that, however, the relief pitching of sophomore Kevin Crimmel (Harrisburg, Pa.) and junior Josh Eidell (Norristown, Pa.) shut the Falcons down.

Crimmel entered with runners at second and third and none out in the fourth inning and pitched into the eighth to earn the win. The runners he inherited scored on a single and safety squeeze but he wound up going four scoreless innings and allowing five hits while striking out two and walking none. Eidell came in with a runner at first base in the eighth inning and retired all six batters he faced to earn the save.

Hall finished the day 3-for-3 with three runs scored and junior Wesley Borden (State College, Pa.) had three hits and a run scored. Shunk singled in the second inning to extend his hitting streak to eight games to start the season. He is the lone Wildcat to have at least one hit in each game this season.

Brian Hangbers and Ryan Schlater had three hits apiece for Bowling Green, while Schlater drove in three runs and Dennis Vaughn had two hits and two RBI. Hawk took the loss for the Falcons, going 1 2/3 innings and allowing three hits, three walks and five earned runs.

The final game during Villanova's spring break trip is on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. against Western Michigan.