April 3, 2007
Box Score
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - With a key conference series looming this weekend, Villanova (13-10) had no intention of looking past a matchup with a longtime city rival. The Wildcats got a season-high 20 hits from a persistent offensive attack and used six pitchers to combine on a two-hit shutout in a 13-0 rout of Saint Joseph's (4-20) on Tuesday afternoon at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth.
Only three hitters reached base in the game for the Hawks, who got their only hits of the game in the fourth and seventh innings. Junior Jordan Ellis (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) was dominant while pitching on a pitch count, allowing just one hit and no walks over four scoreless innings. He struck out six and got his other six outs on groundballs, allowing just one ball out of the infield when Jeremy Jakubowski singled to center with two outs in the fourth. Ellis had retired the first 11 batters he faced prior to that hit.
Five different relievers pitched a scoreless inning each as Villanova saved the staff for a series against St. John's this weekend that begins with a Thursday doubleheader due to the Easter holiday. While the pitching staff shut down the opposing lineup, the Wildcats had base-runners of their own in every inning and collected a season-high 20 hits.
Junior Derek Shunk (Yardley, Pa.) played a starring role with his fifth four-hit game of the season. He scored twice and drove in two runs to lead a pack of eight players with multi-hit games. Junior James Dolbier (Lebanon, N.J.) was 2-for-5 with a run scored and three RBI, while junior Dan Terpak (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and sophomore Wesley Borden (State College, Pa.) each had two hits and two RBI.
Villanova sprung for three runs in the first inning on a run-scoring single by Shunk and a two-run single up the middle by Dolbier. The Wildcats held that 3-0 lead until breaking the game open late with seven runs in the sixth inning and three more in the eighth.
Along the way to the victory, head coach Joe Godri made showcased the roster flexibility that is a trademark of his teams. Junior Gus Guida (Martinsville, N.J.) made his fifth straight start at third base before coming in to pitch the ninth inning. Freshmen Tommy Grandieri (Media, Pa.) and Brian Streilein (Staten Island, N.Y.) each pitched an inning out of the bullpen while having success at the plate. Grandieri moved to left field after his stint on the mound and went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI. Streilein came to the plate in the eighth inning for the first time in his collegiate career and stroked the first pitch he saw for a run-scoring single to left-center field.
Jeff Williams took the loss for the Hawks, allowing three earned runs on six hits in three innings pitched. Ben Wendle was 1-for-4 and had the other hit for Saint Joseph's, whose only other base-runner came in the seventh when Jakubowski walked with one out.
Villanova heads to New York City this weekend for a three-game series against St. John's. Due to the Easter holiday the BIG EAST rivals will play a doubleheader on Thursday beginning at Noon and a single game on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.
