Box Score

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - Freshman starting pitcher Jimmy Kingsbury (Phoenixville, Pa.) pitched six strong innings in his best start of the season and sophomore first baseman Ryan Toohers (Florham Park, N.J.) backed him with a three-run home run, but a pair of runs in the top of the eighth inning accounted for the difference in the game as Villanova (6-21, 0-5 BIG EAST) fell by a final score of 4-3 to Butler (22-8, 4-1) at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth on Saturday afternoon.

The only innings of the game in which runs were scored were the top of the fifth, bottom of the sixth and top of the eighth on a day when both teams received strong pitching performances. Kingsbury yielded just two unearned runs over six innings and struck out four while scattering five hits and a walk. He was in an immediate jam after a leadoff double to start the game, but shrugged off the early hit and retired 12 of the next 13 batters he faced while cruising into the fifth inning.

Freshman left fielder Josh Kim (Holland, Pa.) extended his streak of reaching base safely to 16 straight games, senior center fielder David Gulati (Collegeville, Pa.) had a hit for the sixth straight game and Toohers plated them both with a three-run blast down the left field line with nobody out in the bottom of the sixth inning. His second home run of the season helped the Wildcats overcome two unearned runs against Kingsbury in the fifth inning to take a 3-2 lead.

That was still the score in the top of the eighth when the Bulldogs set the table on a leadoff walk to Jacob Margroff and a single through the right side by Tyler Houston. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third with one away before cleanup hitter Michael Hartnagel got ahead in the count 3-1 and eventually lined a double to the gap in left-center field to put Butler back in front, 4-3.

Earlier in the game, the Bulldogs had runners at first and second with one out and no score in the top of the fifth inning. Zach Jarosz chopped a ball high in the air to third which sophomore third baseman John Heilenbach (Western Springs, Ill.) gloved and then stepped on third to force out the leading runner. His throw to first trying to complete an inning-ending double play was a little high, and the runner who started out at first base (Duncan Hewitt) tried to advance from second to third on the throw. Toohers throw across the diamond just missed nailing Hewitt at third, leaving Butler with runners at the corners and two outs.

Margroff was at the plate when Jarosz attempted a delayed steal of second in an effort to force a throw and allow Hewitt to break for home. The throw from sophomore catcher Doug deMarrais (Bernardsville, N.J.) to freshman shortstop Pat O'Neill (Eagleville, Pa.) was in plenty of time to nab Jarosz for what would have been the final out of the inning, but a near-collision at the second base bag led to the ball coming loose. Jarosz was safe at second on the error and Hewitt scored the game's first run on the play. Jarosz then took third on a wild pitch and scored on Margroff's single up the middle.

The home half of the sixth inning began with Kim lining a single through the left side and Gulati bunting down the third base line for an infield hit. Toohers worked the count full against Bulldogs starter Ryan Pepiot and then hit a payoff pitch deep to left. In a game that had several agonizingly close plays, Toohers' ball chipped off the lower part of the left field foul pole just above the yellow home run line at the top of the fence. It bounced over the wall in foul territory, but the ding of ball hitting metal gave an audio confirmation of the fair ball and the go-ahead home run.

Senior reliever Conor McCarthy (Glenview, Ill.) pitched a scoreless seventh inning before running into trouble in the eighth and surrendering the go-ahead double to Hartnagel. Later in the eighth inning, junior Zach Lutner (Sicklerville, N.J.) entered the game with the bases loaded and one out and impressively recording a strikeout and a force out to get the Wildcats out of the inning without any further damage. Lutner recorded the final five outs of the game in 1 2/3 scorless innings.

Villanova nearly added to its newfound lead after Toohers' home run in the sixth inning. Heilenbach walked with one out to chase Pepiot, while sophomore second baseman Jeff Manto (Bristol, Pa.) walked and deMarrais was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out against reliever Josh Walker (3-0, 1.88 ERA). Freshman right fielder Chris Rotondo (Redding, Conn.) was retired on a foul out to first and O'Neill's hard liner up the middle was caught by a diving Hartnagel for the final out of the inning.

The two teams enjoyed bright sunshine and temperatures in the 80's on the first two truly warm days of the spring season. Winter is expected to make its last gasp for Sunday's season finale however, with a forecasted high of just 48 degrees being accompanied by the potential for drizzle and light rain. First pitch has been moved up to 12 p.m. in an attempt to complete the contest before the weather moves in. Junior righty Jonathan Rosero (Middle Village, N.Y.) gets the start for the Wildcats.