May 17, 2008

Box Score

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - A four-run rally in the top of the eighth inning snapped a tie and Villanova (28-26, 12-15 Big East) closed the regular season with a 5-2 loss to St. John's (41-12, 20-7 Big East) in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth. The Wildcats clinched a second straight playoff berth with a victory in the opening game and now prepare for the BIG EAST Championship that begins on Tuesday.

After its dramatic victory in the opening game of Saturday's twin-bill, Villanova played the Red Storm to a 1-1 tie through seven innings in the second game, which was the regular season finale for both teams. St. John's then plated the decisive runs in the top of the eighth and thwarted another Wildcat rally in the bottom half of the inning.

Junior Joe Cotter (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) singled home a run in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the game 1-1 and senior Derek Shunk (Yardley, Pa.) hit a solo home run over the center field fence with two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the eighth. Villanova eventually got the tying run to the plate in the inning after walks to seniors Dan Terpak (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and James Dolbier (Lebanon, N.J.), but relief pitcher Justin Gutsie induced a groundball to end the inning.

Shunk finished the game with two hits and went 5-for-9 in the doubleheader to raise his season average to .362. He had multiple hits in all three games of the series to match his season with a current 11-game hitting streak. The Wildcats had just five hits against three Red Storm pitchers in the game.

Carlos Del Rosario had three hits in the game for St. John's, including a bunt single that led off the eighth inning rally. Pinch hitter Michael Aicardi eventually hit a two-run single in the inning to plate the go-ahead runs and Paul Karmas followed with a two-run single later in the frame.

Earlier in the game, Chris Anninos hit a solo home run in the top of the third inning to spot the Red Storm a 1-0 lead against Villanova sophomore Kevin Crimmel (Harrisburg, Pa.). After pitching two scoreless innings in the first game of the day, Crimmel came back to scatter seven hits and allow just the home run in four strong innings in the second game. He walked two and struck out three before yielding to junior Ryan Shockley (Seaford, Del.), who went a career-high 3 1/3 innings and only faltered during the eighth inning. Shockley (2-1, 3.18 ERA) cruised through his first three innings allowing just a hit and a walk while striking out three.

The pitching on St. John's side was just as strong and starting pitcher Jared Yecker (4-2, 3.93) was the beneficiary of the runs in the eighth inning. He allowed just four hits and an unearned run in seven innings, while walking one and striking out six. Ryan Cole relieved him in the eighth inning and Gutsie eventually recorded the final four outs for his first save of the year.

The win in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader guaranteed Villanova a fifth consecutive season with at least a .500 record and more than 25 victories. The Wildcats are the No. 8 seed in the BIG EAST Championship and will face a rematch against top-seeded St. John's on Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Bright House Field in Clearwater, Florida.

NOTES: The final day of regular season play in the BIG EAST played out in such a manner that Villanova would have been left out of the eight-team conference tournament had it not won the opening game of its doubleheader ... That contest was scheduled for seven innings and the Wildcats trailed 7-0 going to the bottom of the seventh before scoring seven runs to tie the game on the way to an 11-inning victory ... This marks the first repeat playoff bids for Villanova since it made three straight playoff appearances from 1995-97 ... Last season the Wildcats also clinched a spot with an extra-inning victory over a first-place team on the final weekend of the season when it defeated Rutgers 5-4 in 12 innings on a walk-off base on balls with the bases loaded.