March 7, 2008

Box Score

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - The pitching of senior Jordan Ellis (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) and junior Josh Eidell (Norristown, Pa.) carried Villanova (3-7) to a 2-1 victory over Hartford (0-1) in its home opener on Friday at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth. The teams had been scheduled to play a doubleheader but the second game was washed out due to rain after two-plus innings had been played.

The Wildcats won a game that was originally scheduled for seven innings when junior Joe Rosati (Havertown, Pa.) scored from third on a passed ball in the bottom of the ninth inning. Sophomore Justin Bencsko (Pompton Plains, N.J.) worked to a 2-and-2 count on reliever Marc Toomey and Rosati scored when Bencsko took a close pitch for ball three and the ball got away from the catcher.

Earlier in the inning, Rosati singled with one out and junior Joe Cotter (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) followed with a double to give Villanova runners at second and third. Those were the only two hits the Wildcats got off Toomey, who allowed just the game-ending unearned run in 3 1/3 innings of work.

Ellis went the first seven innings and struck out seven while scattering six hits and an earned run. After giving up a one-out double to Mike Amendola in the top of the second, Ellis set down the next 12 batters in a row until Ben Sobocinski walked with one out in the sixth.

Eidell (2-1) took over in the eighth inning and pitched two scoreless frames to earn his first victory of the season. The combination of Ellis and Eidell on the mound resembled a successful combination from last spring, when the two paired together late in the season in some of the team's most critical wins of the year.

Villanova led 1-0 after a run-scoring double by Derek Shunk (Yardley, Pa.) in the bottom of the third inning. Freshman Dain Hall (Barrington, Ill.) singled with one out and then raced home on Shunk's hit to score the game's first run.

Hartford tied the score in the sixth when Sobocinski walked and eventually took second and third on wild pitches. That put him in position to score on Bill Perry's single before Ellis escaped the inning with a strikeout and ground ball.

Perry and Amendola combined for five of the seven Hawk hits and Cotter went 2-for-4 for the Wildcats.

Villanova led 3-2 in the top of the third inning of the second game when steady rain began falling. In that game, senior James Dolbier (Lebanon, N.J.) doubled home a run and classmate Dan Terpak (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) had an RBI single in the first inning, while senior Ryan Arcadia (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) singled home a run in the second. None of the stats from this game will be counted since the game will not be played to its completion.

The Wildcats are scheduled to face Wagner at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, although the forecast for continued rain this weekend may alter the schedule. Stay tuned to www.villanova.com or call the Villanova Athletics Scoring Hotline at 888-400-NOVA (6682) for updates on the status of the game.

NOTES: Dating back to last season the Wildcats have won their last six games in which Ellis and Eidell have each pitched ... This stretch includes Villanova wins last year to clinch a BIG EAST Championship berth and to win a conference tournament game ... Only one other game has been played at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth prior to March 7 ... On March 5, 2004 the Wildcats opened their home schedule against Army in the earliest game played at the facility.