INDIANAPOLIS – The Villanova baseball won 8-6 on the road in the opening game against the Butler Bulldogs. The win improved the Wildcats to 12-30 and 4-6 in conference play.
Chris Rotondo went 3-4 with a double, walk and had 3 RBI. Rotondo's first three RBI game this season.
Getting the start for Villanova was Jonathan Rosero, he pitched two and a third innings allowing five hits, two runs while striking out two.
Jimmy Kingsbury got the win for the Wildcats. He pitched five innings allowing four hits and four runs. Kingsbury walked four while striking out seven Bulldogs.
Cameron Mathes got his first save of the season. Pitched one and two thirds inning allowing just one hit and struck out two.
Butler scored one run in the bottom of the first with a two out bases loaded walk.
The Wildcats responded in the top of the third with a walk by Timothy Lilly who then moved to second after a sacrifice bunt. Dylan McNary singled to score Lilly and the game was tied at 1-1.
Chris Rotondo walked and then Nick Lorusso reached bases after an error by the third baseman and the bases were loaded for Villanova.
JP Radvany singled to right field scoring two Wildcats to make it 3-1. Lorusso and Radvany both moved up a base after a wild pitch.
With one out, Pat O'Neill singled to left field scoring Lorusso and Radvany to make it 5-1 Villanova.
In the home half of the third, Butler led off with a double to left center field and then the next batter singled to left field to make it 5-2 Villanova. Jimmy Kingsbury came in to pitch for Villanova.
Butler continued to cut into the Villanova lead in the bottom of the fourth when Freed hit a two run home run to left field to make it 5-4 Wildcats.
But the Wildcats got two back in the top of the sixth. Sam Margulis led off with a walk and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Butler got two quick outs and then McNary walked. Rotondo doubled scoring McNary and Margulis and the Wildcats led 7-4.
In the top of the eighth, Lilly led off with a walk, then advanced to second on a wild pitch and then to third on a balk. Butler got the Wildcats to foul out and strike out to get two outs. Rotondo singled up the middle scoring Lilly to give the Wildcats a four run lead of 8-4.
Butler's leadoff batter in the bottom of the eighth was hit by a pitch and then advanced to third after a single by Jarosz. Next Bulldog walked and the bases were loaded for Butler. Cameron Mathes came in to relieve Kingsbury. Freed then singled through the left side scoring two runners and it was a two run game. Mathes got the struckout Gargano with the bases loaded for the second out. The Wildcats got out of the inning with a flyout to centerfield.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Wildcats retired the Bulldogs in order to win 8-6.
Game two is Saturday May 4th with first pitch at 2:00 p.m.
