PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla.—A fast start in the early innings and a dramatic rally in the top of the ninth were nearly enough for Villanova (0-7) in its first game at the Snowbird Baseball Classic, but a seesaw game was decided by a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Wildcats were narrowly defeated, 12-11, by Chicago State (1-5) at North Charlotte Regional Park on Friday evening.  Four different batters had multi-hit games for Villanova, which finished with 12 hits overall to go along with eight walks and two hit batters. 
 
Sophomore center fielder Chris Rotondo (Redding, Conn.) continued his early-season surge with three hits out of the leadoff spot, including a triple to start the game and a go-ahead, two-run single with two outs in the top of the ninth.  Senior catcher Doug deMarrais (Bernardsville, N.J.) had two hits and tied a career high with three runs batted in, while sophomore second baseman Pat O'Neill (Eagleville, Pa.) and sophomore right fielder Sam Margulis (Pennington, N.J.) also had two hits apiece.  All nine batters in the starting lineup reached base at least once. 
 
It was the best offensive performance of the season to date for the Wildcats, who produced a season-high hit total and reached double digits in runs scored for the first time in seven games.  Villanova led 3-0 before it had taken the field for the first time, then added three more runs in the top of the third inning and one more in the fourth to build a 7-2 lead which stood until the bottom of the sixth inning. 
 
Senior starting pitcher Jonathan Rosero (Middle Village, N.Y.) settled in nicely after allowing a walk, a triple and a sacrifice fly to the first three batters he faced in the bottom of the first.  He had retired nine in a row and 15 of 17 entering the home half of the sixth, but the Cougars eventually scored eight unanswered runs off of Rosero and two relievers from the sixth through eighth innings and led 10-7 with the Wildcats down to their last three outs. 
 
Eight men came to the plate in the top of the ninth inning and four scored as Villanova rallied to take an 11-10 lead.  Junior first baseman Ryan Toohers (Florham Park, N.J.) led off with a single, senior designated hitter JP Radvany (Lawrenceville, N.J.) walked and O'Neill singled to center to set the table with the bases loaded and nobody out.  Junior pinch hitter John Heilenbach (Western Springs, Ill.) hit a sacrifice fly to score the first run of the inning and deMarrais followed with an RBI single to center which pulled the Wildcats to within one run at 10-9. 
 
A fielding error in center field on deMarrais' single allowed runners to advance to second and third with still just one out.  It was still O'Neill at third and junior pinch runner Dominic Sarro (North Riverside, Ill.) at second with two away when Rotondo hit a 1-1 pitch into right-center field to plate the tying and go-ahead runs.  He advanced to second on the throw home but was stranded there when a strikeout finally ended the big inning. 
 
Chicago State got a one-out double from Matt Cox in the bottom of the ninth to start a rally of their own, with Cox moving to third on a wild pitch on scoring on Reggie Brock's run-scoring single to center.  A walk moved Brock – representing the potential winning run – into scoring position, while a passed ball then advanced the runners to second and third.  Pinch hitter Daulton Ryans was intentionally walked with the count at 3-1 after the passed ball, loading the bases with still one away.  Senior reliever Jason Applegate (Columbus, N.J.) got Cougars leadoff hitter Nick Heidenthal to pop up to short for the second out, but Andy Gaytan fought off an 0-2 pitch and singled to right to score the winning run in walk-off fashion. 
 
The first four Villanova batters of the game reached base safely in what turned out to be a three-run frame.  Rotondo tripled to the right field corner to get things started and freshman shortstop Dylan McNary (Jefferson, Mass.) singled to drive in the game's first run.  After freshman third baseman Nick Lorusso (Monroe, Conn.) was hit by a pitch and Toohers walked to load the bases, the second run scored on a fielder's choice grounder to second and the third run came home on an O'Neill sacrifice fly. 
 
After there were two outs and nobody on in the top half of the third, Radvany and O'Neill delivered consecutive singles ahead of a walk to junior left fielder Timothy Lilly (Glen Ellyn, Ill.).  deMarrais followed with a two-run single to right and Margulis singled to right-center for another run and a 6-2 lead.  Toohers was hit by a pitch with two outs and nobody on in the top of the fourth and eventually scored on a fielding error two batters later. 
 
Friday's marathon game lasted just over 3 ½ hours and was witness to 373 pitches being thrown to a total of 94 batters by the two teams.  It was the first of six games the Wildcats are playing in Port Charlotte as part of their Spring Break trip to Florida.  Villanova will be back in action at 12 p.m. on Saturday when it takes on St. Bonaventure in the Bonnies season opener.  The game will be played on Field 9 at the North Charlotte Regional Park complex.

POST-GAME NOTES
 

• Villanova scored three or more runs in three different innings for the first time since February 18, 2018 in the first game of a doubleheader at Norfolk State (11-3 win).

 

• The four-run rally in the ninth inning marked the first time the Wildcats tied or took the lead when trailing by multiple runs entering their final at-bat since April 7, 2017 against Xavier.  Villanova trailed that game 2-0 entering the bottom of the ninth and scored three runs to win the game 3-2.

 

• That Xavier game was also the last time the Wildcats had a hitter drive in the tying and go-ahead runs with Villanova down to its last out … Todd Czinege's two-run single with the Wildcats trailing 2-1 won the Xavier game … Rotondo's two-run single in the ninth inning on Friday gave Villanova short-lived 11-10 lead.

 

• The last time the Wildcats overcame a deficit of at least three runs in the ninth inning or later was on May 14, 2011 against Rutgers … Villanova trailed that game 4-1 going to the bottom of the ninth inning   and scored four runs to tally a 5-4, walk-off win.

 

• The three RBI for deMarrais tied his career high … He also had three RBI in a 10-1 win over Iowa on March 10, 2017 … That game was also part of the Snowbird Baseball Classic.

 

• The last time the Wildcats suffered a walk-off loss at a neutral site was on February 26, 2016, also against Chicago State and also in the Snowbird Baseball Classic.  On that date the teams were tied 3-3 going to the bottom of the ninth and the Cougars scored one run to win.

 

• Lorusso is the lone Villanova hitter to reach base safely in all seven games this season.  He is one of two current members of the team to have reached base safely in the first seven games of their career … Current junior outfielder Tyler Bruno (Breinigsville, Pa.) accomplished the feat as a freshman in 2017.

 

• Villanova is 4-3 all-time against Chicago State, including 3-3 in the Snowbird Baseball Classic.  The lone game between the teams to not take place in Port Charlotte was on March 15, 2013 when the Cougars visited the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth (the Wildcats won 8-2).  The teams will face each other again on Sunday afternoon.

 

• Villanova leads the all-time series against Saturday's opponent, St. Bonaventure, by an 11-4 margin and has won the past four meetings … Nine of the 15 games in the series have come at neutral sites in Florida … The teams played in the Snowbird Baseball Classic on March 7, 2015, with the Wildcats winning 6-4.

 

• Villanova is playing in the Snowbird Baseball Classic for the eighth straight year, and is 12-19 all-time in the event after Friday's loss.