March 11, 2006

Box Score

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - As each batter came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning - there were 14 in all - the cheers from the Wildcat dugout got a little louder, a little more hopeful. By the time redshirt freshman Ryan Kuhn (Patterson, Calif.) came up for his second at-bat of the inning, Villanova (7-6) had scored nine runs and moved the potential tying run to third base against Central Connecticut State (4-2). A stunning rally, which began with the Wildcats trailing 14-4 with one out in the ninth, was nearly complete. Kuhn drilled a hard, sinking line drive into right field, but right fielder Jay Schillaci was playing shallow and made a sliding catch to preserve a one-run victory for the Blue Devils.

The line on the ninth inning looked something like this. Nine runs on seven hits, with one Central Connecticut error that prolonged the game when Villanova was down to its last two strikes. There were four walks and the Blue Devils needed four pitchers to throw a total of 68 pitches in the inning before finally claiming the victory.

None of the drama in the ninth inning could have taken place if Central Connecticut had not started out the game on a tear. The Blue Devils scored multiple runs in each of their first four at-bats and led 12-2 after four innings. Central Connecticut scored three runs in each of the first two innings and poured on four more in the third and two in the fourth against a beleaguered Wildcat pitching staff that was eventually bolstered by 5 1/3 innings of relief from freshman Josh Eidell (Norristown, Pa.).

Senior Jeremy Hunt (Tampa, Fla.) notched the first of his three RBI on the day with a fielder's choice groundout in the bottom of the first. Villanova trailed 3-1 at the time, but quickly saw the game get away as the Blue Devils continued to build a big lead. Central Connecticut leadoff hitter Richie Tri had drawn three walks and scored three times before the Wildcats had even reached the bottom of their order the first time.

Eidell entered the game with two outs in the third inning and Villanova trailing 10-1. He surrendered two runs in the fourth inning but then kept the Blue Devils off the scoreboard until the eighth inning. With two outs in the eighth, Scott Appleton smacked a liner off of Eidell's leg that was hit hard enough to bounce past second base and allow two runs to score. It was the second time in as many innings that a line drive came back at Eidell; he ended the seventh inning by knocking down a ball and throwing to first for the third out.

Each team was deep into its bench by the time senior Darren Griffith (Edison, N.J.) singled to open the ninth inning. Freshman Joe Rosati (Havertown, Pa.) came up as a pinch hitter and singled, but the first out of the inning was then recorded on a called third strike. However, senior Craig Mirsky (Holland, Pa.) singled to bring home the first run of the inning and Kuhn followed with a single that scored another run. Mirsky's single started a string of eight straight hitters that reached base, and by the time Griffith came up again and delivered a two-run single the Wildcats were facing just a three-run deficit with still only one out in the inning. Redshirt sophomore Mike Santoro (Manalapan, N.J.) made the second out of the inning with a sacrifice fly, but a run scored to make the score 14-12. Mirsky was up next, and hit a 1-and-1 offering down the right field line. Schillaci gave chase but ended up dropping the ball as he crossed into foul territory, prolonging the at-bat and the game. Mirsky took the next pitch for a ball and on 2-2 singled up the middle to score Griffith and get Rosati to third base. Kuhn worked the count for six pitches before seeing his line drive fall into Schillaci's glove to end the game.

Mirsky was 4-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI, while sophomore Gus Guida (Martinsville, N.J.) had a 3-for-4 day with one run scored and one RBI. Griffith, fellow senior Kris Molloy (Hillsborough, N.J.) and sophomore Ryan Arcadia (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) had two hits apiece as Villanova churned out a season-high 19 hits. Griffith came into the game as a pinch-hitter in the fourth inning and wound up going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI. In all, nine different players drove in at least one run for the Wildcats.

Sean Salvatore had three hits, four runs scored and two runs batted in for Central Connecticut, while Schillaci, Appleton and John Romano drove in three runs apiece. Tri had six plate appearances on the afternoon and finished 0-for-2 with three walks, three runs scored and one RBI on a sacrifice fly.

Blue Devils starting pitcher Ken Kerski (2-0) recorded the win despite allowing 10 hits and four earned runs in 6.0 innings of work. He left with a 12-4 lead that seemed even more safe after Evan Scribner worked two scoreless innings to get the game to the ninth. Taylor Kosakowski was the last of the four pitchers in the final inning and was credited with a save. He came into the game after Griffith's single made it a 14-11 score with two runners still on base.

Villanova will host Cornell for the second time in three days on Sunday at Noon.

NOTES: A total of 10 pitchers combined to throw 388 pitches in the game ... Villanova used 22 players and got six of its hits from the bench ... Mirsky took over the team lead in hitting and is now batting .400 (16-for-40) on the season ... Since starting the season in a 1-for-16 slump, Hunt is batting .375 (9-for-24) ... He leads the team with 15 RBI on the season, including six in the last two games and eight straight outings with at least one run driven in ... Santoro and freshman Wes Borden (State College, Pa.) made their Villanova debuts in the game ... Redshirt freshman Joe Cotter (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) and junior Andy Wendle (New London, Pa.) each walked with the bases loaded during the ninth inning to force home runs ... The Wildcats have scored a run in that way on six occasions this season.