April 5, 2008
Box Score
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - A spirited four-run rally in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted Villanova (12-15, 3-5 Big East) to a 5-3 victory over Georgetown (11-16, 3-8 Big East) on Saturday afternoon at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth. The Wildcats scored four times in their final at-bat to clinch their first conference series win of the season.
Sophomore Brian Streilein (Staten Island, N.Y.) made one of the most dominating starts of the season by a Villanova pitcher, senior Gus Guida (Martinsville, N.J.) notched the final out of the eighth inning for his first win and junior Josh Eidell (Norristown, Pa.) registered his second save in as many days for the Wildcats.
Streilein cruised through the first five innings, retiring 15 of 16 batters and allowing just a walk in the eighth inning. The first hit off of him was a leadoff single by Matt Harrigan in the top of the sixth inning with Villanova ahead 1-0 at the time, but Streilein eventually escaped the inning unblemished after the bases were loaded with none out.
The Hoyas did get to Streilein in the seventh inning, tying the game on a run-scoring single by Billy Henig and then going ahead 3-1 on a two-run triple by Harrigan on a line drive down the line that found the right field corner.
In the eighth inning, a pair of walks around a sacrifice bunt and fly out gave Georgetown runners at the corners with two outs, but Guida (1-2, 3.65 ERA) entered and needed to throw just one pitch to induce an inning-ending groundout right back to him.
Streilein wound up surrendering three runs on seven hits in 7 2/3 innings, during which he walked three and struck out eight. In the seven full innings he pitched, Streilein had at least one strikeout in six of the frames and allowed the leadoff man to reach in just one inning.
His counterpart, Michael Gaggioli of the Hoyas, was just as good through the early and middle innings. He allowed just a bunt single to senior James Dolbier (Lebanon, N.J.) in the first three innings before the Wildcats broke through with a lone run in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Villanova trailed 3-1 when it came to bat in the bottom of the eighth inning but pinch hitter Tim Poydenis (Vero Beach, Fla.) led off the frame with a single, senior Ryan Arcadia (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) followed with a hit and junior Joe Cotter (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) moved the runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.
The Wildcats effectively matched up their right-handed and left-handed bats late in the game, and pinch hitter Kyle Carver (Aldan, Pa.) drew a walk to load the bases and chase Gaggioli (1-3, 3.47). Relief pitcher Daniel Kennedy was greeted by senior Derek Shunk (Yardley, Pa.) fighting off a 1-2 pitch to line a single into right field that narrowed the gap to 3-2. Classmate Dan Terpak (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) followed with an infield hit to tie the game and Dolbier beat out the throw to first base on a potential inning-ending groundball that allowed the go-ahead run to score. Freshman Dain Hall (Barrington, Ill.) added an infield hit to score Shunk with an insurance run to close the scoring.
Gaggioli struck out eight and allowed seven hits and four earned runs in 7 1/3 innings, while the run that was charged to Kennedy on Hall's RBI single was the first allowed by the top Hoya reliever all season. Villanova opened the scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning when Terpak's single through the left side drove in Cotter, who led off with a single of his own and advanced to scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by junior Joe Rosati (Havertown, Pa.).
Villanova looks for the three-game sweep on Sunday at 12:15 p.m.
