May 3, 2008

Box Score

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - Timely hitting and five two-out runs led the way to an 8-4 victory for Villanova (24-22, 8-12 Big East) on Saturday afternoon over Pittsburgh (15-27, 6-14 Big East) at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth. The Wildcats scored three times in the bottom of the fifth inning to take the lead for good in what started out as a back-and-forth affair.

The top five hitters in the Villanova lineup combined for six hits, seven runs scored and seven RBI in the game as the Wildcats clinched their second conference series win of the season. Senior Dan Terpak (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) scored the tying run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning and classmate James Dolbier (Lebanon, N.J.) followed with a run-scoring single that put Villanova ahead to stay.

The Panthers scored two runs in both the third and fourth innings but then managed just one hit over the final five innings. Sophomore Brian Streilein (Staten Island, N.Y.) pitched 7 2/3 innings to win his fourth game of the season and juniors Ryan Shockley (Seaford, Del.) and Josh Eidell (Norristown, Pa.) combined to get the final four outs as the Wildcats won their fourth straight game.

In the top of the third inning, Morgan Kielty had an RBI double and Dan Williams a run-scoring single that opened the scoring and gave Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead. Kielty smacked two of the four doubles hit by the Panthers in the game and he and John Schultz each had two hits with a run scored and one RBI.

Pittsburgh starter Rob Brant (0-5, 5.97 ERA) retired the first two batters in the bottom of the third inning but then junior Joe Cotter (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) singled up the middle and senior Ryan Arcadia (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) drew a walk. Villanova plated one run on a single by senior Derek Shunk (Yardley, Pa.) and then tied the game and took the lead on a two-run single by Terpak.

Pittsburgh answered the Wildcat charge in the top of the fourth with RBI doubles by Schultz with one out and Danny Lopez with two down, seemingly putting Streilein (4-4, 6.18 ERA) on the ropes. The second-year right-hander had other ideas, though, retiring 10 of the next 12 batters he faced to cruise into the eighth inning before turning the game over to Shockley with runners at first and second and two outs.

Villanova had the top of the order due up in the bottom of the fifth inning and Cotter drew a leadoff walk to begin the three-run rally. Arcadia followed with a bunt up the first base line and the ball was thrown into shallow left field on an attempt to cut down the lead runner at second base. Cotter wound up at third and Arcadia at second on the play. The Panthers then issued an intentional walk to Shunk to set up a force play at all four bases, but in doing so also loaded the bases with none out to set up the key at-bats by Terpak and Dolbier.

After holding off Pittsburgh in the top of the eighth when Shockley got Sean Conley to ground out to end the inning, the Wildcats strung together another two-out rally in the bottom of the eighth inning to add a pair of insurance runs. After junior Wesley Borden (State College, Pa.) singled to right-center field with one out, freshman reliever David Kaye retired the next batter for the second out. However, he was then put to work by Cotter and Arcadia, who saw a combined 18 pitches in the next two at-bats. Cotter eventually drew a nine-pitch walk on a 3-and-2 pitch and Arcadia singled up the middle on a full count. Shunk followed with his second run-scoring hit of the day to account for the final run.

Villanova looks for a sweep of the three-game series on Sunday at 12:15 p.m.