May 5, 2006

Box Score

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - A rather ugly streak came to an end in stunning fashion on Friday evening, as senior Kris Molloy (Hillsborough, N.J.) sprinted home from third base after a balk call gave Villanova (25-20, 7-11 Big East) a 7-6 victory in 11 innings over Cincinnati (29-17, 10-9 Big East) in the opening game of a three-game series. The Wildcats, who tied the score with a run in the bottom of the ninth, had been winless in their last 74 games when trailing after eight innings. The streak began midway through the 2002 season.

Molloy and sophomore Ryan Arcadia (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) each drew walks to open the bottom of the 11th inning and senior Craig Mirsky (Holland, Pa.). Mirsky leads the Big East and has set a new team record with 18 sacrifice bunts this season, but he never needed to lay one down in the final at-bat. On an 0-and-1 count, the Bearcats pitched out with the purpose of a throwing a pickoff throw to first base. However, the throw was mishandled and the runners advanced to second and third. Before another pitch could be thrown, Cincinnati reliever Matt Heber was called for a balk, allowing Molloy to score the winning run.

Despite stranding a season-high 18 runners on base, Villanova made the win possible when senior Darren Griffith (Edison, N.J.) scored with one out in the bottom of the ninth to tie the score at 6-6. Griffith, entering the game as a pinch hitter, opened the inning with a double down the left field line and advanced to third on a fly ball to center field by junior Andy Wendle (New London, Pa.). With one out, Molloy put a ground ball in the hole on the left side. Third baseman Jon DeLuca made a diving stop but was unable to throw Molloy out at first. His attempted throw, however, was wide and Griffith came home on the error. Mirsky singled up the middle with two outs - his fourth hit of the day - to move Molloy to second with the potential winning run, but the Bearcats escaped the inning with the game tied.

Facing extra innings for the first time this season, the Wildcats turned to sophomore reliever Gus Guida (Martinsville, N.J.). Guida pitched scoreless innings in the 10th and 11th to pick up his second win of the season and lower his ERA to 2.35 in 23.0 innings. He retired the side in order in the 10th inning and then escaped a jam in the 11th by getting Brian Szarmach to pop up to second with two outs and two runners on base.

Szarmach was the reason that all of the Villanova heroics were necessary, as his bases-clearing, three-run double in the seventh inning erased a two-run deficit and handed Cincinnati a 6-5 lead. The Wildcats managed two runners in the bottom of the seventh, but left the tying run in scoring position. Villanova was then set down in order in the eighth inning before bidding adieu to their last at-bat losing streak with the two rallies.

The Wildcats nearly won the game in the 10th inning, as freshman Joe Rosati (Havertown, Pa.) singled with one out. Junior Frank Cirone (Arlington Heights, Ill.) and Griffith each followed with walks to load the bases, but the Bearcats ended the inning by turning their fourth double play of the game.

Mirsky had four hits to lead the Wildcats and is now 8-for-10 at the plate over his past two games. Molloy and senior Jeremy Hunt (Tampa, Fla.) each were 3-for-5 as Villanova totaled 16 hits for the day. Rosati and fellow freshman Matt McFolling (Chicago, Ill.) had two hits apiece.

The Wildcats faced a two-run deficit early on but scored twice in the second inning and three times in the third to take a 5-2 lead against Cincinnati freshman starter Steve Blevins. The Bearcats added a run in the fifth inning on Jack Nelson's run-scoring single to close to within 5-3, and then took back the lead with their seventh inning rally.

Villanova junior starter Mike Loree (Gillette, N.J.) recorded the first two outs of the inning on just three pitches, but then walked Nelson on four pitches. Mark Muscenti singled to put the tying run on base, and Loree was lifted for sophomore Ryan Wendler (Conshohocken, Pa.). Wendler allowed a single to DeLuca that loaded the bases ahead of the three-run double by Szarmach, but then got out of the inning by getting a fly ball to right-center field that was caught by sophomore James Dolbier (Lebanon, N.J.).

The double by Szarmach was the only damage Cincinnati could do against the Wildcat bullpen, as the Bearcats went in order in the eighth and 10th innings, and stranded the bases loaded in the ninth with a chance to add insurance runs to a one-run lead. Wendler pitched 1-2-3 eighth inning, while redshirt junior Jake Wolff (Randolph, N.J.) and junior Nate Hall (Longmont, Colo.) combined for the three outs in the ninth. Hall entered the game with runners at first and second with one out in the inning. He recorded an out on a fly ball before issuing a walk to load the bases. However, he got another fly ball to end the inning and set up the heroics that were still to come.

Cincinnati jumped on top with two runs in the top of the first inning, as five of its first six hitters reached base safely. Nelson singled home a run and DeLuca walked with the bases loaded, but Loree escaped the inning with a strikeout and groundball out. Loree wound up allowing nine hits and five earned runs in 6.2 innings, walking three and striking out three.

Hunt led off the bottom of the second inning with his Big East-leading 15th home run of the season, and McFolling added an RBI single later in the inning to tie the score at 2-2. Hunt had an RBI single in the third inning and Villanova added two more runs on a fielder's choice and bases-loaded walk to take a 5-2 lead.

The Wildcat rally in the ninth inning spoiled a chance for Blevins to pick up his ninth win of the season. The young right-hander surrendered 12 hits and five runs (four earned) in 6.1 innings of work. He walked four and struck out three but left with the Bearcats ahead 6-5 in the seventh. Nelson, who had been the designated hitter, came in to pitch and allowed one run on four hits in 3.0 innings of work. Offensively, DeLuca had three hits and Muscenti was 2-for-4 with a run scored.

The second game of the series gets underway on Saturday at 1:00 p.m., with junior Kevin Mulvey (Parlin, N.J.) taking the hill for Villanova. He will oppose freshman lefty Dan Osterbrock of Cincinnati.

NOTES: The Wildcats have had at least 13 hits in each of their last four games and are batting .396 (61-for-154) during that span ... Villanova is now batting .305 for the season ... Mirsky surpassed 50 hits on the season with his four-hit game, giving the Wildcats five different players with at least 50 hits ... This has not happened since the 2001 season ... The other hitters with at least 50 hits are Arcadia, Molloy, Hunt and sophomore Derek Shunk (Yardley, Pa.) ... Hunt's 15th home run of the season puts him in a three-way tie for fourth place on the team's single-season list ... Rob Cafiero (2002) and Rick Welsh (1998) also had 15 long balls in a season ... With one more home run, Hunt would have the most homers by a Villanova hitter since Mike Neill (19) and Gene Schall (18) each did so during the 2001 season.