March 7, 2006

Box Score

BRADENTON, Fla. - It took only three hits for the Wildcats to surge ahead with seven runs in the eighth inning, and Villanova (6-4) won its fourth straight game with an 11-6 win over Duquesne (1-5) on Tuesday at Academy Park. The Wildcats benefited from four walks and a hit batsman to win for the second time in four games in their final at-bat.

Villanova trailed 6-4 when its big inning started, but proceeded to send 11 men to the plate and see 51 pitches from two Dukes pitchers. Sophomore Ryan Arcadia (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) led off with a single after working one of four full counts in the inning. Senior Craig Mirsky (Holland, Pa.) was hit by a pitch and sophomore Derek Shunk (Yardley, Pa.) dropped down a bunt that wound up being a single, loading the bases with nobody out.

Walks to senior Jeremy Hunt (Tampa, Fla.) and sophomore James Dolbier (Lebanon, N.J.) forced in the tying runs and sophomore Gus Guida (Martinsville, N.J.) singled up the middle to drive in the eventual winning run. Redshirt freshman Joe Cotter (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) drew another bases-loaded walk and three more runs scored in a fielder's choice, passed ball and wild pitch.

Shunk and senior Kris Molloy (Hillsborough, N.J.) each had one hit and two runs scored in the game, while Arcadia was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Dolbier had a two-run triple in the third inning and finished with three runs batted in for the game.

Sophomore Ryan Wendler (Conshohocken, Pa.) was impressive in six innings in his first collegiate start, striking out four and walking just one while allowing three earned runs. Duquesne plated single runs against Wendler in the second, third and fourth innings but also stranded two runners on base in each of those innings.

The Dukes held leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the early innings - the first deficits faced by the Wildcats in the last four games - but each time saw Villanova tie the game on a solo home run. Junior Andy Wendle (New London, Pa.) hit his first collegiate home run over the scoreboard in left field in the bottom of the second, while Molloy went deep for the first time this season one inning later. Molloy finished with two runs scored and two driven in for the game.

Dolbier's triple in the fourth inning keyed a three-run rally that gave the Wildcats a 4-2 lead, and the margin remained 4-3 until the seventh inning. Pat Kimutis doubled with the bases loaded in the seventh inning to score two runs and return a 5-4 lead to the Dukes. However, the runner from first base was called out on an appeal play before the next pitch, as he was ruled to have missed third base on his way home. A double by Derek Mechling in the eighth inning gave Duquesne a 6-4 lead before Villanova rallied. Sophomore reliever Frank Jankowski (Berwick, Pa.) escaped a jam in the seventh inning and retired the side in the eighth to earn his first win of the season.

The team's final game in its Spring Break trip to Florida will be on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. against Toledo. The Wildcats then head back to Villanova and will prepare to open up their home schedule on Friday afternoon against Cornell at 2:30 p.m. Villanova will host Cornell and Central Connecticut State this weekend in the Villanova Baseball Classic.

NOTES: Dolbier's triple was his second in four games in Florida ... The Wildcats drew seven walks and were hit by a pitch two times in today's game ... Duquesne finished with 13 runners left on base, compared with just three for Villanova ... The Wildcats converted 12-of-18 (66.7%) opportunities to advance runners, while the Dukes were 13-of-29 (44.8%) in those situations ... Villanova also batted .333 (3-for-9) with runners in scoring position, whereas Duquesne hit .190 (4-for-21).