March 26, 2000
Box Score
VILLANOVA, PA.-- On Sunday, March 26, in a Big East Conference battle at Richie Ashburn Field in Philadelphia, the Villanova baseball team handed the No. 24 nationally ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish their first conference loss of the season, 11-5, behind yet another strong outing from freshman pitcher Tom Kandybowicz. The victory improved the Wildcats' record to 11-9 overall on the season and 3-3 in Big East play, while Notre Dame falls to 15-4 and 2-1.
The Irish scored one run in the first inning off Kandybowicz, as shortstop Alec Porzel followed a Brian Stavisky triple by lofting a sacrifice fly to deep left field.
In the bottom of the inning, Villanova would answer off of Notre Dame starter Matt Laird. Second baseman Matt Blaney led off the inning with a walk and was followed by a single from left fielder Dave Pizzini. The next batter, third baseman Matt Longo, hit a short popup to left that was misjudged for an error by Kris Billmaier to load the bases. First baseman Rob Cafiero knocked home the Wildcats' first run of the game in the next at-bat with a single to centerfield. With the bases still loaded, designated hitter Nick Piantek hit a long drive to deep left-center, which was caught by Billmaier. The flyout allowed Pizzini to come across for Villanova's second run of the contest. Right fielder Brian Hearne finished off a big first inning for the `Cats with a RBI single to give Villanova a 3-1 lead after one inning.
With Kandybowicz blanking the Irish for the next two frames, the score stayed at 3-1 until the bottom of the third. With runners at the corners and one away, shortstop Brendan Mannix singled to score Longo. After a walk by Hearne to load the bases, catcher John Picone hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Piantek and increase the Wildcat advantage to 5-1.
In the top of the fifth, Notre Dame punched one run across to trim the Wildcat lead to 5-2. The Villanova offense came alive again in the bottom of the inning, as the `Cats scored two unearned runs off one Irish error. Center fielder Chris Watson highlighted the inning with a RBI single to make it a 7-2 ballgame.
After two Irish fly outs to start the sixth, designated hitter Matt Bok reached first base on a wild pitch following a strikeout. The miscue would cost Villanova as an error by Longo on the next play allowed Bok to score. Second baseman Jeff Perconte's two-out RBI single off Kandybowicz brought Notre Dame within three runs at 7-4.
In the Irish seventh, another Wildcat error led to a Notre Dame score. With two outs and a runner on first, catcher Paul O'Toole hit a drive to right, which was dropped by Watson who cut in front of Hearne. The Villanova error cut the `Cats' lead to 7-5.
Unwilling to let the Irish creep any closer, the Wildcats would put the game away in the eighth inning. After Longo singled home Watson with one out, Cafiero drilled his first triple of the season to center, scoring Longo and Pizzini. Piantek finished the Villanova scoring with a RBI single, giving the Wildcats an 11-5 lead heading into the ninth.
With two on and two out in the ninth, Grzenda put the game away, getting O'Toole to ground to the mound for the game's final out. Grzenda picked up his first save of the season with three no-hit inning. Kandybowicz earned his second straight Big East win to improve to 2-1. He pitched six innings, giving up seven hits and four runs (two earned), walking two and striking out three.
Taking the loss for the Irish was Laird, who gave up three runs on three hits in just one inning of work.
At the plate for Villanova, Piantek tallied a game-high three hits, while Pizzini, Longo, Cafiero and Mannix each had two. Cafiero finished the day two-for-five with a triple, one run scored and a game-high three RBI.
The Wildcats will get back into action on Tuesday, March 28, traveling to Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, for the first round of the Liberty Bell Classic, where they will take on Lehigh at 7:00 p.m.
