Feb. 23, 2007
Box Score
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The offense was in top form against strong pitching and senior ace Mike Loree (Gillette, N.J.) pitched six strong innings as Villanova (3-1) scored its second momentous win over a team from the Southeastern Conference in the last three years. The Wildcats withstood the early innings and broke the game open with three runs in the fifth inning of a 6-1 win over Alabama (6-2) on Friday evening at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
Villanova scored first on a two-out single by Jim Gillin (Broomall, Pa.) in the top of the fourth inning. Derek Shunk (Yardley, Pa.) blooped a single that fell into right-center field for a hit leading off the inning and Joe Rosati (Havertown, Pa.) sacrificed him to second base. One out later Gillin singled up the middle to plate the game's first run, as Shunk slid into home under a tag by catcher Jared Avchen.
At a critical stage in the game, Loree retired the middle of the Crimson Tide lineup in order in the bottom of the fourth inning and the Wildcat offense picked him up again in the top of the fifth. Tim Poydenis (Vero Beach, Fla.) worked a walk to open the frame and Joe Cotter (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) singled to put runners at the corners with none out. Villanova went up 2-0 on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Arcadia (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) and Matt McFolling (Chicago, Ill.) drilled a line drove over the fence in right field for a 4-0 edge.
With Hunter out of the game after five innings, Terpak greeted reliever Bernard Robert with a home run to left field leading off the sixth inning, putting Villanova in front by a 5-0 edge.
Loree survived a dangerous spot in the bottom of the sixth inning. The top of the order was due up to start the inning, and Emeel Salem and Jeff Texada reached on a single and walk, respectively, to set up a Tide rally. With the heart of the order looming, Loree retired the next three batters in a row, allowing only a lone run in a sacrifice fly by Alex Avila.
Sophomore reliever Kyle Carver (Aldan, Pa.) pitched the final three innings for his first career save. It was the second straight scoreless appearance of the season for Carver, who has not surrendered a run in five innings of work this season.
Villanova and Alabama will play a doubleheader on Saturday to conclude the series. The doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. and will replace the originally scheduled game for Sunday. A threat of severe weather on Saturday night and Sunday was the reason for the schedule change.
NOTES: Villanova defeated then-No. 8 Florida 11-1 in the opener of a three-game series on March 4, 2005 ... Alabama is ranked in three out of five major national polls this season, including as high as No. 19 in the NCBWA poll ... Hunter had pitched 14 scoreless innings in his first three appearances of the season ... Opposing hitters were batting just .173 off of him and he had struck out 17 batters with just two walks ... He struck out just two Wildcat hitters despite going to two strikes on 10 of the 22 batters he faced ... Villanova is 96-7-1 (.928) under head coach Joe Godri when leading after seven innings ... This is Godri's sixth season as head coach.
