May 12, 2006

Box Score

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In the opening game of a three-game series, Villanova (26-22, 8-13 Big East) managed just three hits after the first inning and was defeated 4-3 by Louisville (22-28, 12-10) on Friday evening at Jim Patterson Stadium. In driving rain and temperatures that persisted around 50 degrees, the Cardinals scored twice in the third inning and plated the decisive runs in the fifth inning.

Senior first baseman Jeremy Hunt (Tampa, Fla.) singled with one out in the top of the first inning to score the first Villanova run. Sophomore Ryan Arcadia (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) walked to lead off the game and senior Craig Mirsky (Holland, Pa.) reached on an infield hit before Hunt wasted no time extending his career-best hitting streak to 13 games.

The Cardinals got on the board in the bottom of the third inning, scoring twice to take a 2-1 lead. After Alex Lowrey led off the inning with a single, Nick Haley singled on a swinging bunt over the third baseman's head and Chris Cates came up in a sacrifice bunt situation. He appeared to have been thrown out at first base on a bunt, but was ruled safe with a single as a tag play at the base was deemed too late.

With the bases loaded and none out, junior starting pitcher Mike Loree (Gillette, N.J.) got ahead of Louisville leading hitter Logan Johnson 1-and-2, but three straight pitches were just off the plate and the tying run scored on a walk. Loree then induced a double play to record the first two outs of the inning, but Haley scored the go-ahead run on the play. Another groundball out ended the inning with the Wildcats still within one run.

However, after the single from Hunt in the first inning, Villanova was held without a hit until the sixth inning, and the Cardinals took advantage. Johnson and Jorge Castillo each had run-scoring singles in the bottom of the fifth inning and Louisville extended its lead to 4-1.

Loree (3-6, 5.20 ERA) allowed four runs on five hits in seven innings of work, striking out four and issuing six walks. Sophomore Ryan Wendler (Conshohocken, Pa.) worked a scoreless inning of relief.

Freshman Matt McFolling (Chicago, Ill.) finally broke the hitless streak in the top of the sixth, as his single up the middle scored Hunt with the Wildcats' second run. Hunt walked with one out and junior Frank Cirone (Arlington Heights, Ill.) drew a two-out walk, but Villanova stranded two runners on base after McFolling's hit.

Down to their final chance in the ninth inning, redshirt junior catcher Jim Gillin (Broomall, Pa.) hit a solo home run that stayed just to the right side of the foul pole down the left field line, bringing the Wildcats to within one run with still just one out in the inning. However, Louisville reliever Griffin Bailey retired the next two batters to end the game.

The Wildcats had just five hits overall. Hunt and Cirone each reached base twice on the day. Cirone walked and was hit by a pitch, while Hunt has now reached base safely in 27 consecutive games.

The second game of the series will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, with junior Kevin Mulvey (Parlin, N.J.) making the start for the Wildcats against Trystan Magnuson of Louisville.

NOTES: Villanova has scored in the first inning in six of its 21 conference games, with five of those games coming on the road ... The Wildcats are 3-3 in the six games and 14-6 overall when scoring in the first inning ... Mirsky's single in the first inning was a line drive that hit first-place umpire Mick Sharkey ... The play resulted in a dead ball and Arcadia remained at second base ... A steady drizzle fell for much of the game, with the final two innings being contested under heavy rainfall ... The threat of additional rain on Saturday caused the first pitch to be moved from 6 p.m. to 2 p.m.