April 18, 2006

Box Score

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - Eleven different players chipped in to a 15-hit attack and Villanova (17-17) got back to .500 with a 16-0 win over La Salle (13-21) on Tuesday afternoon at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth. The win avenged an earlier loss, as the Explorers had defeated the Wildcats 14-6 last month in Philadelphia.

The Wildcats continued a recent trend and made use of a quick start, scoring three times in the first inning and twice more in the second to establish an early 5-0 lead. Sophomore Ryan Arcadia (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) started the bottom of the first inning with a single and senior Craig Mirsky (Holland, Pa.) followed with a triple. Both runners eventually scored on the play, as Mirsky came home on an errant relay throw. Explorer starter Brandon Geib eventually walked the bases loaded and a third run scored on a fielder's choice.

Senior Kris Molloy (Hillsborough, N.J.) tripled to lead off the bottom of the second inning and scored on a wild pitch. Arcadia reached on his second straight single and, after stealing second base, eventually scored on a single down the left field line by sophomore Derek Shunk (Yardley, Pa.).

On the mound, sophomore Ryan Wendler (Conshohocken, Pa.) was in command of his sixth start of the season. Wendler (3-2, 4.32 ERA) notched eight straight outs during the middle innings but found the going just as smooth when there were base runners. He allowed three singles through the first six innings but each time erased the runner with a double play groundball. Wendler wound up striking out four, walking one and facing just two batters over the minimum through seven innings, and extended his scoreless innings streak to 14. Freshman Kyle Carver (Aldan, Pa.) pitched two scoreless frames to close out the game.

Villanova padded its lead with three more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and put the game far out of reach with two runs in the seventh and six more in the bottom of the eighth. Shunk had a two-run single with the bases loaded and two out in the sixth, while freshman Joe Rosati (Havertown, Pa.) started that inning with a single and scored on a sacrifice fly after stealing both second and third base.

All nine starters in the lineup had at least one hit for the Wildcats, who added to their 15 hits with six walks and three hit batsman. Arcadia had three hits, three runs scored and an RBI while Shunk and junior Frank Cirone (Arlington Heights, Ill.) each had two hits and three runs batted in. Junior Andy Wendle (New London, Pa.) and sophomore James Dolbier (Lebanon, N.J.) each had a hit and two runs scored. Arcadia and Rosati combined for four of the team's five stolen bases on the day, while Dolbier extended his team-best hitting streak to eight games.

Geib (1-4, 8.91 ERA) took the loss for La Salle after allowing five runs, five hits and three walks over the first two innings. Matt Burns went 2-for-2 and was hit by a pitch for the Explorers, and also made six putouts during a busy day in right field.

Villanova returns to the field tomorrow afternoon to play Coppin State at 3:00 p.m.

NOTES: The Wildcats have scored 12 runs in the first inning over their last four games ... Villanova scored five times in the first inning against Pittsburgh in its previous outing on Saturday ... The Wildcats had plated just 17 runs in the first inning through its first 30 games ... Rosati made his 10th straight start in left field and is batting .286 (8-for-28) with a .375 on-base percentage during that span ... Earlier in the day he was named the Hometown Philly Baseball Rookie of the Week ... Villanova was 7-for-16 (.438) with runners in scoring position for the game ... Shunk is batting .429 (21-for-49) in those situations this season, including .500 (3-for-6) with the bases loaded ... Dolbier is hitting .750 (3-for-4) with the bases loaded and the Wildcats are batting .386 (22-for-57) as a team in those spots.