March 14, 2001

Box Score

NEWARK, DEL- On a day in which the windy conditions in Newark, Del., factored as much in the game's outcome as any one team or player, the University of Delaware baseball team rallied from a four-run eighth inning deficit to top Villanova, 15-13, on Wednesday, March 14. The Wildcats' three-game winning streak came to an end with the loss, as their record fell to 6-4. The Blue Hens improved to 5-5 overall on the season with the victory.

Delaware jumped on Villanova starter Tom Kandybowicz in the first inning, scoring six runs on seven hits. Following a triple by the Hens' Casey Fahy to begin the bottom of the first, second baseman Andrew Salvo hit a "wind-aided" two-run home run to right field for an early 2-0 lead. Before the inning was over, designated hitter Vince Vukovich added a three-run blast and center fielder Reid Gorecki posted an RBI triple to center to give Delaware a 6-0 advantage.

In the top of the third inning, Villanova designated hitter Nick Piantek drilled a line-drive solo home run over the right-centerfield wall to trim the Blue Hen lead to 6-1.

One inning later, the Wildcats rallied to tie up the contest at 6-6. After rightfielder Brian Hearne and catcher Marshall Canosa recorded RBI singles, centerfielder Chris Graziano hit a sacrifice fly to left field to close the gap to 6-4. With two outs and runners on second and third, Piantek came through in the clutch yet again with a two-run double to center field to tie the game.

Down 9-7 in the sixth inning, Villanova received a little help for the Delaware pitching staff. Blue Hen reliever Mike Mihalik walked the bases loaded without an out in the inning. Second baseman Matt Longo singled home Piantek to get the `Cats within one run. Hearne followed Longo with a sacrifice fly to left field to score first baseman Mike Houser with the tying run. Villanova went ahead 10-9 on an RBI ground out by shortstop Brian Trotta and extended its lead to 12-9 on RBI singles by Graziano and left fielder Dave Pizzini.

In the top of the eighth inning, the Wildcats padded their advantage to 13-9 as Pizzini tripled over the head of Delaware centerfielder Reid Gorecki to score Graziano. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, it looked as if Villanova was coasting to its seventh victory of the season. The Blue Hens, however, had other plans in mind. Wildcat freshman Adrian Schau walked Andrew Salvo with two outs, and allowed a home run off the bat of rightfielder Peter Maestrales, to bring the Hens within 13-11.

Following another walk by Schau, Hearne came in the game in relief attempting to close out the game for the `Cats. Hearne walked Vukovich on four pitches to place runners at first and second. With the count 2 and 0 to first baseman Steve Harden, he lofted a high fly ball to left field. With Graziano unable to see the ball in the sun and the wind playing havoc with it as well, the ball dropped at the foot of the wall for a two-run triple. With the game tied at 13-13, catcher John Schneider hit a two-run home run to right field to lift the Blue Hens to a 15-13 victory.

Hearne took the loss on the mound for Villanova to fall to 0-1. He allowed three runs on two hits in one-third of an inning. Delaware's Rich McGuire (2-1) picked up the win with two innings of relief.

At the plate for Villanova, the Wildcats one through three spots in the order combined to go nine-for-15 with eight RBI. Graziano went three-for-four with one run and three RBI, while Pizzini went three-for-six with a triple and two RBI. The biggest hitter on the day for the `Cats was Piantek, who went three-for-five with a double, a home run, two runs scored and three RBI. He is now batting .417 on the season with team-highs of two home runs and 14 RBI.

Villanova will get back into action on Thursday, March 15, traveling to St. Joseph's to face the Hawks at 3:00 p.m.