Villanova University

March 24, 2006

Box Score

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - After hitting just four balls out of the infield in the first six innings, Villanova (10-9, 0-1 Big East) plated three runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the rally was not enough in a 6-3 loss to St. John's (11-7, 1-0 BE) on Friday afternoon at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth.

After the Wildcats trimmed a 4-0 deficit to just one run after the seventh inning, the Red Storm came right back and scored twice in the top of the eighth to close the scoring. With runners at second and third, a balk was called on the first pitch of an intentional walk, allowing one run to score. Then, with a runner at third base, a wild pitch was thrown on a suicide squeeze attempt and the second run of the inning came in.

Senior Kris Molloy (Hillsborough, N.J.) came up with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh and drove in the first two runs of the inning with a single up the middle. It was his second hit of the game and raised his team-best batting average to .459 on the season. Senior Jeremy Hunt (Tampa, Fla.) singled leading off the seventh inning, but the rally didn't pick up steam until after there were already two outs.

There was a runner on first and two down when junior Andy Wendle (New London, Pa.) reached on an error that prolonged the inning. Pinch hitter Joe Rosati (Havertown, Pa.) then was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Molloy. Sophomore Ryan Arcadia (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) followed Molloy with an RBI single to drive in the third run. He and Molloy each finished the day with two hits.

After junior Kevin Mulvey (Parlin, N.J.) struck out the side in the first inning, St. John's got a sacrifice fly from Jeff Grantham and a run-scoring single from Chris Anninos to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Will Vogl hit a sacrifice fly in the third inning to make it 3-0, and the Red Storm added a run in the top of the sixth when a run scored on a double play with the bases loaded.

St. John's starter Rob Delaney held the Wildcats in check through the first six innings, striking out nine and allowing just four balls out of the infield, including three singles. That changed with Hunt's single leading off the seventh, as Villanova appeared to be on the brink of another late-inning comeback before the Red Storm added the two late insurance runs.

Delaney (2-1, 4.33 ERA) wound up allowing six hits and three unearned runs while striking out 10 in 6.2 innings. Justin Muir recorded the final seven outs to pick up his first save of the season. Chris Joachim was 4-for-4 with two runs scored for St. John's, which totaled 12 hits on the afternoon.

For Villanova, Mulvey (2-3, 4.87) struck out seven and walked just one in 7.1 innings of work. He was charged with five earned runs before junior Nate Hall (Longmont, Colo.) entered and retired the final five batters.

The second game of the three-game weekend series between the Wildcats and St. John's will be on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Junior Mike Loree (2-2, 3.44 ERA) will take the hill for Villanova and oppose Scott Barnes (1-1, 4.70).