March 14, 2008

Box Score

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - The bats remained strong and the pitching was in top form on Friday afternoon as Villanova (5-8) defeated Maryland-Eastern Shore (0-15) by a 15-0 count at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth. The teams were opening this weekend's Villanova Baseball Bash.

The Wildcats struck for eight runs in the bottom of the first inning and cruised from there behind a season-high 19 hits and the pitching staff's first shutout of the year. Villanova also scored twice in the second inning, four times in the third and once in the fifth to round out the scoring.

Senior Dan Terpak (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) went 3-for-3 with three runs scored and three driven in, while junior Joe Cotter (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) and sophomore Justin Bencsko (Pompton Plains, N.J.) drove in three runs apiece. The 19 hits for the Wildcats came from 12 different players.

On the mound, senior Jordan Ellis (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) held the Hawks to just three hits over five scoreless innings. He walked one and struck out seven to earn his second win of the season. Ellis (2-0, 1.57 ERA) had at least one strikeout in every inning and retired 10 of the last 11 batters to face him.

With the bases loaded and one out in the first inning, Terpak singled to drive in the first two runs of the game. Junior Wesley Borden (State College, Pa.) followed with a run-scoring single and later in the inning junior Joe Rosati (Havertown, Pa.) singled to plate two runs.

Villanova was 9-for-12 with runners in scoring position in the first three innings. Senior Tim Poydenis (Vero Beach, Fla.) scored a run with a first inning single and freshman Dain Hall (Barrington, Ill.) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Borden doubled home a run in the second inning, while Bencsko had a sacrifice fly in the second and a run-scoring triple in the third.

Four relievers each worked a scoreless inning for the Wildcats to close out the game. Junior Michael Mayer (Midland Park, N.J.) pitched a 1-2-3 sixth inning, freshman Will Hebard (Winnetka, Ill.) and Mike Francisco (Media, Pa.) pitched the seventh and eighth, respectively, and junior Ryan Shockley (Seaford, Del.) tossed the ninth.

Maryland-Eastern Shore was held to four hits, all singles, in the game. Ryan Coppi was 1-for-3 with a walk and the only hitter to reach base safely twice. Carl Huber (0-4, 14.73) was the losing pitcher, allowing all eight runs (four earned) in 2/3 of an inning in the first. Brian White allowed 11 hits and seven earned runs in relief.

Villanova will play a doubleheader against St. Peter's on Saturday beginning at Noon. The doubleheader will feature two nine-inning games.

NOTES: In other games on Friday that are also part of the Villanova Baseball Bash, Temple edged Binghamton 4-3 and La Salle defeated Long Island 9-5 ... Over his last two starts, Ellis is 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA ... In that span he has allowed one run on nine hits in 12 innings pitched, walking two and striking out 14 ... Wildcat freshmen David Koczirka (Thornton, Pa.) and Chris Provenzano (Glendale, Calif.) each recorded their first collegiate hits in today's game ... Provenzano appeared in his first game of the season for Villanova ... Hall extended his hitting streak to eight games with two hits today ... He is batting .593 (16-for-27) during the streak, which began after he started the year 0-for-11 in the first three games ... Hall is leading the Wildcats with a .421 batting average for the season.