March 4, 2006
Box Score
BRADENTON, Fla. - After dealing away a 7-1 lead by allowing six runs in the top of the ninth inning, Villanova (4-4) loaded the bases with two outs and scored the winning run on a wild pitch to defeat Central Michigan (2-5) on Saturday at Academy Park. Despite allowing the Chippewas to tie the game, the Wildcats extended to 53 games their unbeaten streak in games they lead after seven innings.
With two outs and none on in the ninth, senior Jeremy Hunt (Tampa, Fla.) lofted a blooper into shallow right-center field for his second hit of the game. Sophomore Gus Guida (Martinsville, N.J.) then worked a full count and fouled off three straight pitches before taking ball four to keep the inning going. Redshirt junior Jim Gillin (Broomall, Pa.) followed with another walk to load the bases, and the first offering to pinch-hitter Matt McFolling (Chicago, Ill.) was in the dirt and bounced away, allowing pinch-runner Darren Griffith (Edison, N.J.) to score from third base with the winning run.
Central Michigan entered the game having scored 58 runs through its first six games, but was held in check for the first eight innings. Junior starting pitcher Mike Loree (Gillette, N.J.) pitched seven strong innings and allowed just four hits and one run, while waking three and striking out six. Loree (2.70 ERA) effectively worked to both sides of the plate in his outing, and caught the Chippewas looking at the third strike four times.
Meanwhile, Villanova had its own offense rolling for the second straight day, as all nine starters in the lineup reached base at least once. Sophomore Derek Shunk (Yardley, Pa.) continued his strong start to the team's Florida trip with three hits, including two doubles, and two runs batted in. Senior Craig Mirsky (Holland, Pa.) had two hits and scored three runs, while sophomore Ryan Arcadia (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) had two hits and two RBI.
The Wildcats scored a single run with two outs in each of the first three innings, before stretching its lead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Hunt hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the first inning, and his infield hit in the third inning kept a rally going ahead of an RBI single by Guida.
Senior Kris Molloy (Hillsborough, N.J.) beat out an infield hit with two outs in the second inning and eventually stole second base and scored on another infield hit by Arcadia. Molloy also dropped down a sacrifice bunt in the fourth inning before another RBI single from Arcadia. Mirsky tripled home Arcadia, and Shunk scored him with the Wildcats' third straight run-scoring hit.
In the ninth inning, however, the game began to resemble the scene that took place in Friday's game. Villanova led that contest with IPFW 13-0 through five innings before settling for a 15-12 triumph. On Saturday it was Central Michigan's turn, as Bryan Resnick and J.T. Jones each had two-run doubles in the six-run ninth inning. The other two runs scored on bases-loaded walks, but the Wildcats escaped further damage when redshirt sophomore reliever Bill Hoffman (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) covered the plate on a wild pitch and tagged out a Chippewas runner on an accurate throw from Gillin. With the bases again loaded, Hoffman (1-0, 8.53) retired Scott Szpyrka on a fly ball to right field, setting up the game-winning rally in the bottom of the inning.
NOTES: Villanova is 52-0-1 when leading after the seventh inning since April 7, 2003 ... The Wildcats are now 13-4 in the state of Florida in head coach Joe Godri's coaching tenure ... Villanova was 6-for-13 (.462) with two outs in today's game, compared with 1-for-10 (.100) by Central Michigan ... The Wildcats were also 5-for-11 (.455) with runners in scoring position ... In its first two games in Florida, Villanova is batting .424 (28-for-66) with a .535 on-base percentage (15 walks, three HBP) ... Sophomore James Dolbier (Lebanon, N.J.) has gone 2-for-7 in the two games, and has been hit by a pitch in each of the games ... He has scored two runs, driven in four, hit a triple and stolen a base as well.
