March 25, 2007

Box Score

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - Strong pitching throughout the weekend set a tone for the visiting Cardinals and Villanova (9-8, 1-2 Big East) managed just two hits in the final six innings and lost 10-3 to Louisville (16-8, 2-1 Big East) on Sunday afternoon in the rubber game of a three-game series at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth. The Wildcats had just 13 hits and batted .144 in the series against the top pitching team in the conference.

Despite cutting a four-run deficit to one with three runs in the bottom of the third inning, Villanova was unable to stay with the Cardinals in the middle and later innings. Louisville plated three runs in the sixth inning and scored three more runs in the final two frames to go on to the seven-run margin.

Junior Derek Shunk (Yardley, Pa.) went 2-for-4 with an RBI and was the only Wildcat batter with more than one hit. Junior Ryan Arcadia (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) went 1-for-4 and scored a run while also driving in the first Villanova run.

Louisville led 4-0 after getting an unearned run in the second inning and three more in the third (one unearned). In the bottom of that inning, Arcadia singled with two men on to get the Wildcats on the scoreboard. Shunk and junior Dan Terpak (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) each followed with RBI groundouts as Villanova drew to within 4-3.

Sophomore starting pitcher Josh Eidell (Pottstown, Pa.) kept the Cardinals off the scoreboard in the fourth and fifth innings but the Wildcats were shut down offensively in their own at-bats and could not tie the game. Louisville loaded the bases with one out in the sixth inning and a two-run single by Daniel Burton with two down proved to be the turning point in the game.

Eidell was charged with nine hits and five earned runs in six-plus innings to take his first loss of the season. The Cardinals kept up the pressure on Villanova throughout the game, putting their leadoff man on base in eight of nine innings and getting four hits with two outs.

Boomer Whiting had two hits, three stolen bases and four runs scored for Louisville, while Logan Johnson tied a school record with four walks and finished 1-for-2 with a pair of runs scored. Isaiah Howes added three hits and two RBI.

Cardinal starter Tyler Mathis allowed three earned runs on five hits in six innings, striking out seven and walking one to improve to 3-0 on the season. Louisville pitchers registered 30 strikeouts in the series while the team's offense put together 31 hits for the weekend.

Villanova hosts Lafayette on Tuesday at 3 p.m. in the opening round of the Liberty Bell Classic. The Leopards defeated the Wildcats 12-10 in Easton last season in a second-round game that prevented Villanova from reaching the championship for a second straight season.