Box Score

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Freshman starting pitcher Mike Sgaramella (Florham Park, N.J.) won his third straight start and Villanova (7-11) scored seven runs in the top of the fifth inning of a 9-4 victory over Penn (1-8) at Meiklejohn Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. Junior left fielder Adam Goss (Bellaire, Texas) homered and scored three runs as the Wildcats snapped a three-game losing streak.

Junior shortstop Eric Lowe (Arlington Heights, Ill.) had a pair of run-scoring singles during the big fifth inning and Villanova plated seven runs despite getting only three hits in the inning. The outburst of runs snapped a 1-1 tie and the Wildcats later added a final run in the top of the ninth inning. Goss, Lowe and junior third baseman Kevin Jewitt (West Chester, Pa.) had two hits apiece in the win.

Sgaramella (3-1, 4.43 ERA) struck out six batters over five innings of work while limiting the Quakers to two earned runs on four hits. He worked around a double and a walk with two outs in the bottom of the first inning to strike out the side, and allowed Penn to score just single runs in the third and fifth innings. Sgaramella has now won each of his three starts this season and has 21 strikeouts over 16 1/3 innings in those appearances.

It was actually the Quakers who got on the scoreboard first when Gary Tesch scored in the bottom of the third inning. Tesch reached on an infield hit to start the inning, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and took third on a wild pitch. Austin Bossart singled down the left field line with one out to drive in Tesch, but Sgaramella avoided further trouble with a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning.

Goss homered to right-center field in the top of the fourth inning to tie the score. Jewitt drew a leadoff walk to start the inning and Lowe followed with a single to right-center. Jewitt scored on the play and Lowe was safe at second when a throwing error was committed on the relay throw home. Freshman designated hitter Brady Acton (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) doubled to score Lowe, while Goss drove in Acton with an RBI fielder's choice a few batters later.

Sophomore catcher Zander Retamar (Boca Raton, Fla.) also scored on Goss' fielder's choice as a result of a throwing error on the play. Two more runs scored when Jewitt reached on an error with two outs in the inning, and Lowe singled through the right side to bring home the seventh and final run of the frame.

Penn scored single runs in the bottom of the fifth, sixth and eighth innings to get within 8-4 but Goss scored another run in the top of the ninth to assure that the game was out of reach. He doubled on the first pitch in the top of the ninth inning and later scored with two outs on Jewitt's RBI single to left-center.

Freshman reliever Ryan Doty (Rye, N.Y.) entered the game with the bases loaded and nobody out in an 8-3 game in the bottom of the eighth inning. He retired Tim Graul on a sacrifice fly to left which let a run score, but then got out of the jam by inducing a 6-6-3 double play. Doty allowed two singles and a walk in the ninth inning before getting Matt Greskoff to fly out to center field to end the game.

Quakers starting pitcher Mitchell Hammonds (0-3, 6.75 ERA) struck out six while allowing just three hits in four innings of work, but also surrendered four earned runs and was charged with the loss.

Villanova opens a three-game series against Binghamton on Friday afternoon at 3:15 p.m.

NOTES: The seven-run fifth inning marked the biggest inning for the Wildcats since a seven-run top of the third inning in a 12-4 victory at Cincinnati on April 21, 2013 ... Sgaramella is holding opponents to a .222 average (14-63) while giving up 14 hits and five runs in 16 1/3 innings during his three starts ... Villanova is 55-39 all-time against Penn.