March 30, 2008

Box Score

STORRS, Conn. - A five-run first inning created an early hole and Villanova (8-15, 1-5 Big East) dropped the rubber game of a three-game series to Connecticut (13-11, 5-4 Big East) on Sunday afternoon at J.O. Christian Field.

The Huskies batted around in the first inning and scored four unearned runs in the frame. Pat Mahoney hit a two-run home run to get the Connecticut rally started, while Mike Nemeth and Brad Olt added run-scoring singles later in the inning.

With the relief pitching of junior Josh Eidell (Norristown, Pa.) stabilizing the game through the middle innings, the Wildcats turned their attention to chipping away at the deficit. The first chance for that came in the top of the third inning when Villanova loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a line-drive single by junior Joe Cotter (Bryn Mawr, Pa.). However, a double play groundball on the very next pitch ended the inning with no damage being done against Huskies freshman starter Elliot Glynn.

The Wildcats made good on their next chance to put runs on the board. Similar to the third inning, the bases were loaded with one out after a single by junior Wesley Borden (State College, Pa.) and a pair of walks. Senior Derek Shunk (Yardley, Pa.) walked with the bags full to bring in the first run and classmate Dan Terpak (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) reached on a dropped sacrifice fly in center field that made the score 5-2 and kept the bases loaded with still one out.

Connecticut reliever Will Musson entered the game just prior to Terpak's sacrifice fly and he registered a strikeout and foul popup to end the inning and force Villanova into leaving the bases loaded for a second time in the game. The Wildcats stranded 11 runners in the game and the Huskies left 12 stranded.

After Connecticut added another run on Mike Olt's single in the bottom of the sixth inning, Villanova answered with another sacrifice fly by Terpak in the top of the seventh to make the score 6-3. That was as close as the Wildcats could get, however, as the Huskies took advantage of five Villanova defensive miscues in the game and scored two more unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh to put the game out of reach.

Cotter had two hits and senior Ryan Arcadia (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) doubled, walked and scored for the Wildcats. Junior Joe Rosati (Havertown, Pa.) finished 1-for-4 with a walk and run scored. Villanova managed seven hits and walked seven times.

Musson picked up his second win of the season for the Huskies, allowing just one hit in 1 2/3 innings of relief. The Wildcats chased Glynn after he walked six and allowed two earned runs on four hits in 4 1/3 innings. Dennis Erickson pitched the final three innings for his second save.

Eidell pitched five solid innings in relief of redshirt freshman Chris Pack (Hinsdale, Ill.), who was charged with his third loss. Eidell walked two, struck out three and scattered a run on six hits in his longest outing of the season.

Villanova will play its next 12 games at home in a span of 16 days. The stretch begins with a Tuesday afternoon game against La Salle, beginning at 3:15 p.m. at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth.