April 16, 2005

Final Stats

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Senior third baseman Angelo Petracca (Sanford, Fla.) drove home a career-high six runs in the second game, none bigger than his game-winning single in the top of the 10th inning, and Villanova (21-9-1, 7-5 Big East) split a doubleheader with Pittsburgh (18-14, 4-8 BE) on Saturday afternoon at Trees Field. The Wildcats lost the first game 6-4 before responding with a gutsy, 9-8 victory in extra innings in the nightcap.

In the top of the 10th, junior Kris Molloy (Hillsborough, N.J.) singled with one out and freshman Derek Shunk (Yardley, Pa.) reached on a two-out single when his chopper bounced over the head of the second baseman. Petracca was up next, and he battled the count full against the Panthers reliever before hitting a ball up the middle to score Molloy from second.

In the bottom of the inning, all three Pittsburgh hitters worked the count full against Wildcat senior pitcher Mike Grodecki (Northbrook, Ill.). However, Grodecki induced a groundball to second for the first out of the inning and then struck out the final two batters of the game to record his first victory of the season.

Petracca was 3-for-5 with a career-high six RBI in the second game. Prior to the game-winning single, he also drilled a three-run home run in the third inning and had a two-run double in the fourth. Molloy was 2-for-4 in the game with three runs scored and one driven in. Senior Alan Day (Lake Ridge, Va.) was 2-for-4 with two runs, and senior Mark Cardillo (Naples, Fla.) had two hits and drove in a run.

Villanova led 8-5 after scoring a single run in the top of the seventh inning, but the Panthers forced the game into extra innings by scoring two runs in the bottom of the eighth and then tying the game in the bottom of the ninth.

It took the traditionally strong pitching and defense that defines the Wildcats' style of play to escape the ninth inning with the game still tied. A walk, single and wild pitch to start the inning spotted Pittsburgh runners at second and third with nobody out. Justin Cicatello hit a fly ball to right field for a sacrifice fly that brought home the tying run, but Villanova turned the fly ball into a double play by throwing out Jeff Stevens, who was trying to advance from second to third on the throw to home plate.

The Panthers weren't done in the inning, however, as the next two batters singled and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. That led to the intentional walk of Jim Negrych to load the bases, and Grodecki then preserved the tie game by getting Peter Parise to ground out to third base. Negrych had hit his seventh home run of the season to account for the two runs in the eighth inning.

Earlier in the game, the Wildcats scored three runs in the third and fourth innings to take a 6-4 lead heading to the fifth inning. Molloy walked leading off the third inning, and Shunk doubled one out later. Petracca then worked to a 2-2 count before belting his third home run of the season down the left field line. In the fourth, Molloy came up with two outs and nobody on and dragged a bunt down the first base line for a hit. He then stole second and went to third on a passed ball before junior Craig Mirsky (Holland, Pa.) eventually worked out a walk. Shunk doubled off the fence in left-center field to score Molloy and give Villanova a 4-3 lead, and Petracca followed with a double to nearly the same spot that scored both runners.

The Panthers had taken a 2-0 lead in the second inning on the first of two homers by Jeff Stevens, and plated a single run in the third inning when Ben Copeland scored on a passed ball. Wildcat starting pitcher Mike Loree (Summit, N.J.) pitched seven innings and struck out a career-high 10 batters in the no-decision.

In the first game, Sean Conley doubled home the decisive runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Wildcats led 4-3 after scoring three runs of their own in the top of the frame, but Ben Copeland led off the home fifth with his second home run of the game to tie the score. One out later, Jim Negrych singled. The next batter, Peter Parise, appeared to bounce the ball back to the pitcher on a checked swing. However, on a controversial call, the umpires ruled that Parise had been hit by the pitch. Conley was next up, and he hit a 1-1 pitch into the gap in left-center field, allowing Negrych and Parise to score.

It seemed as though the Wildcats had taken hold of the game's momentum after rallying for three runs in the top of the inning. Molloy singled with one out to get the inning started, and Villanova eventually loaded the bases on successive hits by Mirsky and Shunk. Petracca, who accumulated eight RBI on the day, followed with a sacrifice fly to deep center field, allowing all three runners to move up. The Panthers intentionally walked junior Jeremy Hunt (Tampa, Fla.) to load the bases and set up a force at any base, but Day drilled a double into left-center field to score the tying and go-ahead runs, putting the Wildcats ahead 4-3.

The momentum was short-lived, as the Wildcats only lead of the game was quickly erased by Copeland's homer over the fence in center field. It was the fifth of the season for Pitt's leadoff hitter, and one of three home runs allowed by Wildcat senior starter Nick Allen (Green Lane, Pa.). Allen matched a career-high with nine strikeouts in the game, but allowed seven hits and six runs to fall to 5-2 on the season.

Molloy and Shunk combined for four hits and three runs scored in the game. Each player went 2-for-3, while Petracca was 1-for-2 with two runs batted in. Villanova managed 10 baserunners off Muldowney, who picked up his third win of the season with a 135-pitch, complete-game effort. Six of those runners wound up stranded, though, and the Wildcats took six called third strikes in the game. Muldowney wound up with two walks and nine strikeouts in his outing.

Molloy was in the middle of a Wildcat rally in the third inning that tied the game at 1-1. He led off the inning with a single up the middle, and one out later went to third when Shunk singled through the right side on a perfectly executed hit-and-run. Molloy was running on the first pitch of the at-bat, and Shunk hit a hard single through the hole in the right side, a spot vacated by the second baseman covering the bag on the potential stolen base. Petracca hit the next pitch back towards the mound, where it was stopped by Panthers hurler Billy Muldowney. Muldowney looked Molloy back to third before throwing to second to force out Shunk. Petracca beat the throw to first to keep the inning alive, and the speedy Molloy raced home from third on the throw to score the run.

The emotional three-game series wraps up on Sunday with a single, nine-inning game that begins at Noon.

NOTES: Villanova has split all five conference doubleheaders it has played this season ... The Wildcats moved into third place in the standings with the combination of their split and Rutgers getting swept by Boston College ... Allen also had nine strikeouts on March 16, 2002 against Maryland-Eastern Shore ... Villanova pitching had only allowed one home run in 85 innings pitched in conference games before allowing six home runs in 16 innings on Saturday.