Box Score

Friday, April 24
Villanova at St. John's | L, 7-3 | Box Score

Saturday, April 25
Villanova at St. John's | L, 10-7 | Box Score

Sunday, April 26
Villanova at St. John's | W, 7-6 | Box Score

QUEENS, N.Y. - The Villanova baseball team (16-22, 4-5 BIG EAST) defeated St. John's (24-14, 8-3 BIG EAST) in the final game of a three-game series on Sunday afternoon from Jack Kaiser Stadium in Queens, N.Y.

A strong start by senior left-handed pitcher Josh Harris, 1.1 innings from Max Almonte (W, 3-2) and an eight-out save from Chris Haggarty (S, 8) pushed the Wildcats to capture the win against the Red Storm.

The Wildcats got one run in each of the third and fourth inning. Sophomore Emmanuel Morris hit a sharp ball to third base and was able to get to second on the error. After a Adam Goss walk put runners on first and second, junior Kevin Jewitt delivered with single through the left side to score Morris, giving Villanova the early 1-0 lead.

In the fourth, sophomore Donovan May drilled a line drive over the second baseman's head into the right-center gap for a leadoff double. A sacrifice bunt by junior Eric Lowe moved May to third before he scored on an infield error on the ensuing play. The Wildcats led 2-0 heading to the bottom half of the inning.

Harris shut down the Red Storm in the fourth with two flyouts and a groundout to sophomore Todd Czinege at second as the Villanova starter retired eight-straight batters beginning with one out in the second inning.

Harris received helped from strong defensive play behind him on Sunday. Shortstop Eric Lowe made a tough play in the hole to begin the bottom of the fifth inning. The junior dove in the hole before rising to his feet to get the first out of the inning. Following two flyouts, the Wildcats retired 11 Red Storm players in a row to end the fifth. A leadoff single for the SJU catcher Tyler Sanchez in the sixth snapped the hitting drought for the Red Storm.

Harris got into a jam in the sixth. After the single to Sanchez and a walk to the following batter, head coach Joe Godri made the move to the bullpen to bring in Max Almonte. A walk loaded the bases before a swinging bunt with a VU error scored two to tie up the affair. A passed ball then gave St. John's a 3-2 lead following six innings.

In the seventh, freshman David Gulati smacked his first career triple over the SJU right fielder's head to open up the inning followed by a walk to Morris in the No. 9 spot to bring up the top of the order with no outs.

With one out and two runners in scoring position following a Morris steal, Jewitt delivered again for the Wildcats, hitting a ground ball up the middle, past a shading and diving second basemen to score two as Villanova regain the lead, 4-3. Junior Max Beermann extended the lead, 6-3, when he crushed a two-run home run over St. John's bullpen's in right-center to conclude the four-run seventh for the Wildcats. It came as his third extra-base hit of the series following a double on Friday and Saturday.

Almonte found himself in some trouble in the seventh after a walk and a single put two on for St. John's. Villanova turned to closer Chris Haggarty for an eight-out save. With his first pitch against St. John's Alex Caruso, who came into the at-bat 5-for-12 in the series, Haggarty rolled a quick 6-4-3 double play to end the inning and the threat.

Jewitt added on another RBI, his fourth of the day, a new career high, when he walked in a run in the eighth to make it 7-3.

Haggarty retired the following three batters in the eighth but surrendered three runs in the ninth including a two-run home run, his first homer allowed on the year. He still came away with the save, his eighth save on the season.

The final score of the game was 7-6 in favor of the Wildcats.

Villanova now hosts La Salle on Tuesday, April 28 and Rutgers on Wednesday, April 29. Both games will start at 3:15 p.m. at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth. The next BIG EAST games for the Wildcats will be starting with the first game of a three-game series on Friday, May 1 in Indianapolis, Ind. against the Butler Bulldogs.

Notes: Max Almonte has earned the win in Chris Haggarty's last three appearances; Haggarty also has three saves in those appearances ... Haggarty's Sunday appearance was the second longest of his career where he still earned a save; he now has five career saves where he went 2+ innings ... Haggarty surrendered his first home run of the season on Sunday ... Jewitt set a new career high with 4 RBI on the day.