May 16, 2006
Box Score
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - A two-run single by redshirt junior Jim Gillin (Broomall, Pa.) with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning plated the tying and go-ahead runs, leading Villanova (27-24) to an 8-5 victory on Tuesday afternoon against Penn State (19-33) at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth. The Wildcats finish their non-conference schedule with a 19-9 record against non-league foes.
A back-and-forth game swung towards the Nittany Lions after back-to-back solo home runs in the top of the seventh inning gave Penn State a 5-3 lead. The advantage didn't last long however, as Villanova scored four times in the bottom half of the inning to take the lead for good. The Wildcats earned their fourth victory in as many seasons against the Nittany Lions.
Senior Kris Molloy (Hillsborough, N.J.) bunted the first pitch of the bottom of the seventh inning for a single and sophomore Ryan Arcadia (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) sacrificed him to second base. After Molloy stole third, senior Craig Mirsky (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) doubled in the first run and the Wildcats loaded the bases on a walk to sophomore Derek Shunk (Yardley, Pa.) and a hard single by senior Jeremy Hunt (Tampa, Fla.). A strikeout by Penn State reliever Matt Ogrodnik accounted for the second out of the inning before Gillin's hit put Villanova ahead.
Gillin took three straight balls to get ahead in the count, but Ogrodnik worked back to a full count. With all three runners in motion, Gillin drilled a ball straight back up the middle and into centerfield for two runs batted in. Junior Frank Cirone (Arlington Heights, Ill.) added an RBI single on the next play and Hunt hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth inning to score the final run.
It looked like a typical day at the plate for Hunt, who went 2-for-4 with a run scored and run batted in. He extended his hitting streak to 16 games and his streak of games reaching base safely to 30 straight outings. Mirsky had three hits with two runs scored and two RBI as the Wildcats had 13 hits total for the day. Molloy reached base safely in all four of his plate appearances, going 3-for-3 with three runs scored and a hit by pitch.
On the mound, three pitchers combined to allow just seven hits on the afternoon. Starting pitcher Bill Hoffman (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) allowed two hits and one earned run in 4.1 innings pitched before turning the game over to sophomore Jordan Ellis (Bryn Mawr, Pa.). Ellis (5-1, 4.61 ERA) pitched 2.2 innings of relief and notched his fifth win of the season. Junior Nate Hall (Longmont, Colo.) pitched two scoreless innings and earned his second save of the season.
Lance Thompson had for hits and two runs scored for the Nittany Lions, who scored four unanswered runs after Villanova took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Scott Gummo had an RBI single and Aaron Greenfield a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning to tie the score at 3-3. In the seventh, Gummo hit a home run that barely cleared the left field fence and Thompson blasted a ball over the right field fence two pitches later to make it a two-run game.
Scott Kelley (0-1, 7.84) was charged with the loss after allowing a hit and a walk to the only batters he faced in the bottom of the seventh inning. Starting pitcher David Bumstead allowed two earned runs on six hits in 3.1 innings.
The Wildcats opened the scoring in the bottom of the third inning on run-scoring singles by Mirsky and freshman Joe Rosati (Havertown, Pa.). With runners at second and third with two outs, Rosati placed a single just over third base that scored Mirsky from third. Running from second base, Hunt cleared third and would easily have scored, but Penn State instead threw to second base to throw out the advancing Rosati before Hunt could score. Arcadia drove in the team's third run with a fielder's choice in the fourth inning.
Villanova hosts Notre Dame this weekend in its final Big East series of the season. The series begins on Thursday with a 4:00 p.m. game and continues on Friday at 4:00 p.m. and Saturday at Noon.
NOTES: Hunt's hitting streak matches that of Angelo Petracca (2005) for the longest by a Villanova hitter in the past four seasons ... The Wildcats are undefeated in their last 20 weekday home games against non-conference opponents (19-0-1 since 2003) ... Junior Kevin Mulvey (Parlin, N.J.) will pitch on Thursday against Notre Dame, with classmate Mike Loree (Gillette, N.J.) getting the start on Friday and freshman Josh Eidell (Norristown, Pa.) taking the mound on Saturday.
