April 13, 2007

Box Score |  Notes

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - Senior starting pitcher Mike Loree (Gillette, N.J.) turned in a gutsy nine-inning performance and junior Dan Terpak (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) singled home the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning as Villanova (15-14, 4-6 Big East) landed the first punch in the first game of a three-game series against University of South Florida (25-11, 8-5 Big East). The Wildcats won Friday's series opener 3-2 in 10 innings for its third walk-off victory of the season.

The game was tied 2-2 from the fifth inning on and a tense battle seemed to have drama building on every pitch in the late innings. Loree (2.32 ERA) left the bases loaded in the ninth inning after the leadoff man reached and got to second with one out. He stranded seven runners on base overall in the seventh through ninth innings and kept the Bulls at bay until Villanova could claim victory in the first extra-inning game of the season for either team.

Sophomore Joe Cotter (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) drew a one-out walk to get the Wildcats started in the 10th and sophomore Matt McFolling (Chicago, Ill.) singled through the right side to advance Cotter to third. Junior Ryan Arcadia (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but a strikeout for the second out of the inning brought up Terpak in a do-or-die situation. He never hesitated, rolling the first pitch he saw straight up the middle and into center field to win the game with his only hit of the day.

The bullpens ended up getting the decisions both ways in a game where both starting pitchers went nine innings. USF starter Danny Otero (2.47 ERA) matched Loree and allowed just two unearned runs in his performance, which included six hits, no walks and eight strikeouts. Otero allowed a two-out, two-run single to senior Jim Gillin (Broomall, Pa.) in the bottom of the fourth inning that tied the game 2-2.

Sophomore Josh Eidell (Pottstown, Pa.) was in complete control during a scoreless 10th inning, striking out two batters and allowing only a one-out infield hit to pick up his second victory of the season. Eidell (2-3, 5.92) was making his first relief outing of the season and pitched in relief for only the fourth time in his collegiate career.

In the bottom of the 10th, Villanova had to contend with the Bulls standout reliever Shawn Sanford. The freshman, who had nine saves and no losses entering the game, retired the leadoff man in the 10th and got a strikeout with the bases loaded and one out before Terpak ended the afternoon with his team-high 23rd RBI of the season.

The way Loree finished his outing seemed appropriate for a game in which he allowed his only two runs in the second inning. USF loaded the bases with nobody out on two hits and a walk, but Loree prevented the frame from turning into a significant run-producer for the Bulls. He struck out Nick Cardieri for the first out of the inning and worked around an RBI single and bases-loaded walk to escape the jam with the game still in a manageable range.

After he walked leadoff hitter Mike Consolmagno to force in the second USF run, Loree retired 14 of the next 16 batters he faced and cruised into the seventh inning. That's when he ran into some additional jams, though his poise as a four-year member of the rotation helped him hold off the Bulls. With two outs and the bases loaded in the ninth, Loree got Addison Maruszak to ground out to second and was mobbed by his teammates as he came off the field.

The balance in the Villanova lineup remained evident from an offensive standpoint, as eight different batters all had one hit for the Wildcats. Dexter Butler had three hits for USF, while Joey Angelberger and Braulio Pardo had two apiece. The Bulls stranded 13 runners on base in the game while Villanova left just five runners on.

Friday afternoon's game was the beginning of a critical weekend of BIG EAST play for the Wildcats, who were coming off a sweep at the hands of St. John's last weekend. In the first meeting between the teams in more than 20 years, Villanova defeated second-place USF to build momentum for the remainder of the weekend.

Due to the forecasted wind and rain for Saturday night through Monday morning, the series between Villanova and the Bulls will conclude with a doubleheader on Saturday. The teams will play two nine-inning games beginning at 11 a.m. There will be no game on Sunday.