Box Score

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - Junior reliever Kagan Richardson (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) tossed a career-high five scoreless innings out of the bullpen and junior shortstop Eric Lowe (Arlington Heights, Ill.) drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth inning as Villanova (17-22) defeated La Salle (20-21-1) by a final score of 3-1 at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth on Tuesday afternoon. Each team had just five hits in a well-pitched contest.

Richardson (3-0, 3.56 ERA) faced just one batter over the minimum over the final five innings, including retiring 10 straight batters to end the game. The visiting Explorers initially took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning, but from that point on had just two base runners get as far second base. Richardson was preceded on the mound by senior lefty Jeff Courter (Maple Glen, Pa.), who allowed four hits and a run while walking one and striking out two over four innings.

Sophomore second baseman Todd Czinege (Overland Park, Kan.) doubled off the right field fence to open the bottom of the sixth inning with the game tied 1-1 at that point. He advanced to third on a groundout by sophomore center fielder Donovan May (Newark, Del.) two batters later and then scored when Lowe grounded a 2-2 pitch through the left side to give the Wildcats their first lead of the game.

La Salle scored its lone run in the top of the third inning when Josh Savakinus tripled to left field with one out and scored on an RBI groundout by Cameron Johnson three pitches later. A soft lineout to third ended the inning with no further damage done and the Explorers never seriously threatened after that. Courter stranded runners at first and second in the fourth inning when he struck out Nico Olvera to end the inning.

In the fifth inning, Yan Carlo Rivera led off and reached on an error. He then stole second with still nobody out but never advanced any further. Ryan Welling singled with one out in the sixth inning but was caught stealing on a double play when Richardson struck out Derek Prucnal. La Salle went nine up and nine down over the final three frames.

Junior left fielder Adam Goss (Bellaire, Texas) was on base three times for Villanova, once each on a hit, a walk and a hit by pitch. He walked on four pitches with one out in the bottom of the third inning as the Wildcats quickly erased a 1-0 deficit. Goss went from first to third on an errant pickoff throw by Explorers starting pitcher Jordan Meyer, and then hustled home when junior third baseman Kevin Jewitt (West Chester, Pa.) hit a sacrifice fly to shallow center.

Goss also drove in an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh inning with a double down the left field line. Junior right fielder Emmanuel Morris (Willowbrook, Ill.) walked to lead off the inning, stole second and eventually moved to third on a wild pitch ahead of Goss' double.

La Salle reliever Greg Krug (0-1, 7.16 ERA) was charged with the run scored by Czinege in the bottom of the sixth inning and took the loss. He was one of five Explorers pitchers on the day, and each allowed one hit in the game.

In addition to their five hits, the Wildcats had seven other base runners thanks to five walks and two hit batters. Villanova put all those runners in motion and had a season-high seven stolen bases in the game, including two steals apiece by Goss and Lowe. Goss was hit by a pitch leading off the bottom of the first inning and stole both second and third before being stranded on base. The seven stolen bases are the most in a game for the Wildcats since they had eight swipes at Temple in a 4-3 on April 25, 2012.

Villanova plays its final non-conference home game of the season on Wednesday afternoon when it hosts former BIG EAST rival Rutgers at 3:15 p.m. Freshman left-hander Mike Sgaramella (Florham Park, N.J.) starts for the Wildcats opposite Scarlet Knights righty John O'Reilly.