Villanova University

April 9, 2006

Game 1: Connecticut 1, Villanova 0 (7)
Game 2: Connecticut 7, Villanova 3

STORRS, Conn. - Two days of rain finally yielded to blue skies and mild temperatures on Sunday afternoon, as the Wildcats and Huskies salvaged a weekend series with a doubleheader at J.O. Christian Field. Villanova (13-16, 1-7 Big East) was defeated 1-0 in a pitchers' duel in the seven-inning opener, and Connecticut (20-9, 8-3) finished the sweep with a 7-3 victory in the nine-inning nightcap.

In the first game, junior starting pitcher Kevin Mulvey (Parlin, N.J.) was the victim of a 1-0 defeat for the second straight outing. Mulvey scattered just four hits and an earned run in six innings, striking out four and walking two. Just as was the case in his start against Rutgers last Friday, a sixth-inning double to right field was the only blemish on Mulvey's record.

Austin Wasserman singled to open the home half of the sixth inning and Erik Turgeon laid down a sacrifice bunt before Larry Day doubled to drive home the only run of the game. Huskies starter Tim Norton (4-2) bested Mulvey with one of his finest outings of the season. Norton took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and wound up allowing just a bouncing infield hit to sophomore James Dolbier (Lebanon, N.J.) leading off the inning.

Dolbier advanced to second and then went to third when junior Frank Cirone (Arlington Heights, Ill.) sprinted to first after striking out and beat the throw after a wild pitch. Senior Kris Molloy (Hillsborough, N.J.) hit a high chopper back up the middle on the next play, but Norton reached above his head and fielded the ball before recording the final out at first base.

Villanova looked to have its offense going early in the second game, as Dolbier had an RBI single in the first inning and Cirone drove in a run on a groundout in the second inning. However, the Wildcats' early 1-0 advantage was their only lead of the game, as Connecticut plated three runs in the bottom half of the first to take a 3-1 lead. Cirone's RBI made it 3-2 in the second inning, and the score remained that way until the bottom half of the fourth.

A pair of run-scoring doubles in the fourth inning extended Connecticut's lead to 5-2, and the Huskies plated another single run in the fifth inning off of starting pitcher Mike Loree (Gillette, N.J.). Villanova scored its final run in the top of the ninth inning when pinch hitter Darren Griffith (Edison, N.J.) singled and eventually scored on an error. Cirone finished the game 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Nick Tucci pitched seven innings of six-hit ball and registered his sixth win of the season against no losses. Tucci struck out three and allowed two runs, only one of which was earned. Three different relievers covered the final four innings of the game for the Wildcats, including sophomore Gus Guida (Martinsville, N.J.), who worked 1.1 scoreless innings.

Villanova next plays Lehigh on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. in Bethlehem. The Wildcats return home for the first time in nearly three weeks on Thursday at Noon when they host conference rival Pittsburgh in a doubleheader. The teams will also play a single, nine-inning game next Saturday at Noon.

NOTES: In his past two starts, Mulvey is 0-2 despite a 0.64 ERA in 14 innings pitched ... The Wildcats have scored just five total runs in his last four outings, and are hitting only .229 overall in his eight starts this season ... In today's start, Mulvey faced the minimum number of batters through the first three innings, and a one-out single by Erik Turgeon in the bottom of the fourth snapped an 0-for-30 skid by the Huskies against Mulvey ... The Villanova ace no-hit Connecticut in a seven-inning game last season at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth, and has permitted just nine hits in 17.1 innings to the Huskies in his three career starts against them ... In 47.1 innings pitched this season, Mulvey has walked just nine batters and struck out 48 ... Four of the nine walks have been intentional, and Mulvey has not issued an unintentional walk in his last 20.1 innings.