April 12, 2001
Box Score
PISCATAWAY, N.J.- On Thursday, April 12, in game one of a Big East doubleheader at the Class of `53 Baseball Complex in Piscataway, N.J., Rutgers left-hander Buddy Gallagher gave up just one run in seven innings to pick up his sixth victory of the season in a 9-1 victory over Villanova University. The game was originally scheduled for Richie Ashburn Field in Philadelphia, but was switched to Rutgers' facility due to the wet field conditions at Ashburn. The Wildcats fell to 15-16-1 overall and 5-9 in the Big East with Thursday's game one loss, while the Scarlet Knights improved to 26-10 overall and 9-5 in conference play.
The game went scoreless until the top of the third inning, when Rutgers scored three runs off of Villanova starter Bob Grzenda. With one out in the inning, Scarlet Knights' center fielder Brian Ciemniecki reached on a bunt single to first base. Second baseman Matt Wolski followed with a double to left fielder advancing Ciemniecki to third. A two-run single by first baseman Val Majewski and a RBI double by right fielder Billy McCarthy gave Rutgers a 2-0 lead after two and a half innings.
On inning later in the top of the fourth, the Scarlet Knights knocked Grzenda out of the game and put the contest away with six more runs. The biggest hit of the inning was a bases clearing three-run triple by McCarthy giving Rutgers an 8-0 advantage. The Knights added one more in the inning on a RBI groundout by catcher Michael Popowski to take a commanding 9-0 lead.
The Wildcats finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth inning on a RBI double by first baseman Rob Cafiero, but it was not nearly enough as Rutgers went on for a 9-1 game one victory.
Gallagher (6-1) got the win on the mound for the Scarlet Knights, keeping Villanova hitters off balance all afternoon long. He allowed only one run on eight hits in seven innings, striking out nine batters.
Grzenda surrendered six runs on six hits in three and one-third innings to get the loss and fall to 1-5 on the season.
Cafiero was the lone Wildcat with two hits, going two-for-three with a double and a RBI. For Rutgers, McCarthy went two-for-three with a double, triple, and four RBI. Other big hitters for the Knights were Majewski who went one-for-two with three RBI. And Ciemniecki and Wolski who each tallied two hits.
