April 4, 2008

Box Score

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - The pitching of senior Jordan Ellis (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) and junior Josh Eidell (Norristown, Pa.) was a winning combination for the seventh straight time and junior Wesley Borden (State College, Pa.) provided insurance with a long home run as Villanova (11-15, 2-5 Big East) won its conference home opener on Friday afternoon with a 6-4 win over Georgetown (11-15, 3-7 Big East) at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth.

Ellis (3-2, 4.20 ERA) pitched 7 2/3 innings to earn his third win of the season and the Wildcats won for the seventh straight time when both Ellis and Eidell (three saves) pitch in the same game. Eidell entered with two out in the top of the eighth inning with the tying and potential go-ahead runs on base and struck out pinch hitter Greg Pustizzi to escape the jam.

Borden hit his second home run of the season well over the center field fence in the bottom of the eighth to provide an insurance run and close the scoring in the game. He finished 2-for-4 on the day and also doubled to lead off the bottom of the third and set up the first Villanova run.

A three-run home run off the bat of Erick Fernandez that briefly gave the Hoyas the lead in the top of the fourth inning was essentially the only damage done against Ellis, who struck out eight and scattered seven hits in his seventh start of the season. He retired the leadoff man in six of the eight innings he started to avoid getting into jams and worked effectively to both sides of the plate.

Senior Dan Terpak (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) walked with the bases loaded in the third inning to force in classmate Ryan Arcadia (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) with the first run of the game. Arcadia scored two runs and junior Joe Cotter (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) went 2-for-4 with a run scored and RBI for the Wildcats.

In the top of the fourth inning, Matt Iannetta doubled and Sean Lamont bunted for a single ahead of the home run by Fernandez. Those three hits all came with nobody out but Ellis escaped further trouble by retiring the next three hitters on just seven pitches.

Villanova plated four runs on just three hits in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead for good, as a pair of defensive errors by Georgetown in the inning aided the Wildcats rally. Arcadia reached on an error to start the inning, stole second and came in to score on Cotter's run-scoring single. Cotter came all the way around to tie the game moments later when a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Justin Bencsko (Pompton Plains, N.J.) was misplayed.

Bencsko wound up at third on the play and scored on a groundout by senior Derek Shunk (Yardley, Pa.). Villanova still wasn't done in the inning, as Terpak tripled with one out and scored on a two-out single by junior Joe Rosati (Havertown, Pa.).

Fernandez singled home the last Hoya run in the top of the eighth inning and finished the day 3-for-4 with all four of the team's RBI. It appeared Ellis was through the eighth inning after striking out Sean Lamont, but a throw to first base after a dropped third strike was off the line and allowed Lamont to reach second. Fernandez followed with a single and Matt Harrigan singled before Eidell entered and slammed the door.

Tim Adleman (3-3) took the loss for Georgetown, allowing five hits and five runs (one earned) in 5.0 innings pitched. He walked three and struck out two before yielding to Grady McConnell, who gave up an earned run on three hits over three innings.

The second game of this weekend's series between the teams will be on Saturday at 12:15 p.m.

NOTES: Villanova is 2-0 this season when Ellis starts and Eidell comes in out of the bullpen ... The pair also pitched the Wildcats to a 2-1 victory over Hartford in the home opener ... Villanova won their final five games last season in which each hurler appeared ... The Wildcats are 9-0 when leading after six innings this season ... The Hoyas are playing at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth for the first time in five years ... Villanova has traveled to Bethesda, Md. to play Georgetown in three of the last four seasons and the teams did not meet in 2006 ... The Hoyas first trip to Plymouth Meeting came during the Wildcats inaugural season at their home park.