March 15, 2011
Box Score
CAMDEN, N.J. - In its first game of the season against a Philadelphia Big Five opponent Villanova (5-10) allowed multiple runs in three of the first four innings and lost by a final score of 11-7 to Saint Joseph's (7-10) at Campbell Field on Tuesday afternoon. Senior designated hitter Dain Hall (Barrington, Ill.) had three hits and drove in two runs but the Wildcats could not battle all the way back from two separate four-run deficits in the first four innings.
Villanova plated a single run in the top of the first inning but never had the lead again as the Hawks came back with two runs in the bottom of the first and three more in the home half of the second inning to build a 5-1 lead.
The early innings had the look of a back-and-forth contest and the Wildcats put together four runs in the top of the fourth inning to tie the score at 5-5. Saint Joseph's, however, scored four more runs of their own in the bottom half of the fourth to go back in front 9-5 before getting strong relief pitching the rest of the way.
Hall finished the day 3-for-4 and also scored a run in addition to his two runs batted in. His run-scoring single in the fourth inning was the only hit Villanova needed to manufacture its four-run frame. Nobody else on the team had more than one hit in the game, although the Wildcats seven runs were scored by six different players.
After the first batter was retired to start the top of the fourth inning the next seven reached base safely. Hall was the last of the seven and had the only hit in that stretch. Senior third baseman David Koczirka (Thornton, Pa.) reached on an error and took second on a wild pitch before starting pitcher Chad Simendinger and the first two Hawks relievers of the day combined to put five straight batters on base via a walk or hit by pitch.
In a sequence of three straight hitters junior center fielder Jordan Zech (Naples, Fla.) walked to force in a run, while junior second baseman Kevin Wager (Fairfax, Va.) and junior shortstop Marlon Calbi (Montclair, N.J.) each were hit by a pitch to add runs two and three for the inning. Hall finally broke through with a single down the right field line that scored the fourth run and moved everyone up a base, but senior right fielder Matt Fleishman (East Northport, N.Y.) was induced into an inning-ending double play.
The rally by Saint Joseph's in the bottom of the fourth inning that gave the team the lead for good was not filled with the same kinds of mistakes. Instead, the Hawks strung together five hits and scored their four runs on three straight run-scoring singles by Mike Plakis, Cody Silverman and Quinn Renner, hitting in the fifth through seventh spots in the Saint Joseph's batting order.
Sophomore starting pitcher Kevin MacLachlan (Matawan, N.J.) pitched 3 2/3 innings and was charged with eight hits and seven runs (five earned). MacLachlan (0-2, 6.75 ERA) walked two and did not have a strikeout in his second start and third appearance overall this season. Two of the runs on his account scored after he left the game and sophomore lefthander Matt Longfield (Miami, Fla.) also had two runs charged to him after exiting the game.
Villanova scored its final two runs in the top of the sixth inning to get within 9-7 on RBI singles by Hall and Koczirka but the last three pitchers used by the Hawks combined to retire the last 10 straight Wildcats batters of the game. The stretch started when freshman first baseman Tyler Reich (Ocean City, N.J.) made the last out of the sixth with the bases loaded and then Villanova went down in order in each of the final three innings.
Chris Hueth was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI for Saint Joseph's, which had nine of its 16 hits come with runners in scoring position. Taylor, Plakis and Anthony Cirillo all had two hits for the Hawks.
Starting pitcher Chad Simendinger started and went 3 1/3 innings for Saint Joseph's, during which he allowed three hits and three runs (two earned) while walking two and striking out one. Reliever Steven Schuler (1-0, 12.27 ERA) allowed three hits and two earned runs in 2 1/3 innings of relief but was the winning pitcher on the long end of the decision.
The Wildcats return home on Wednesday afternoon at 3:15 p.m. to host Lehigh.
NOTES: With his single in the first inning Fleishman has now reached base safely in 11 consecutive games ... Sophomore left fielder Steve Schrenk (Brigantine, N.J.) made his fifth start of the season and Reich started for the third time in the last four games ... Both players have reached base safely in all of their starts this season ... Reich walked three times today and in his three starts has gone 2-for-8 with four walks and two runs scored.
