April 16, 2008

Box Score

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - Villanova (17-18) rapped out 16 hits and closed a 12-game homestand with a 14-6 win over Lafayette (18-14) on Wednesday afternoon at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth. The Wildcats went 9-3 during their longest home stretch of the season.

Villanova trailed 3-0 before ever coming to the plate but scored 12 unanswered runs form the second through the fifth innings to take control of the contest. Freshman Dain Hall (Barrington, Ill.) went 4-for-4 with three runs scored, two RBI and his first collegiate home run as all 11 players that got an at-bat had at least one hit for the Wildcats.

Senior Derek Shunk (Yardley, Pa.) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the second inning and classmate Dan Terpak (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) followed with a two-run single to tie the game at 3-3.

In the third inning, junior Wesley Borden (State College, Pa.) led off with his third home run of the year, junior Matt McFolling (Chicago, Ill.) delivered a sacrifice fly and Shunk and Terpak delivered run-scoring singles in a four-run frame.

The barrage of runs through the middle innings supported redshirt freshman Chris Pack (Hinsdale, Ill.), who scattered just four hits in six innings of work. Pack (3-3, 4.85 ERA) won his third straight decision and the three runs charged to him in the first inning were all unearned. He walked one and struck out four while matching his longest outing of the season in his ninth start.

Terpak drove in three runs and senior Ryan Arcadia (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) had two hits and two runs scored. The Leopards used six different pitchers and all allowed at least one run to a Villanova offense that batted .320 and hit 11 home runs during the homestand.

The Wildcats closed out the scoring with single runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Senior Gus Guida (Martinsville, N.J.) had a run-scoring single in the seventh and sophomore Justin Bencsko (Pompton Plains, N.J.) singled, took second on a passed ball and eventually scored on an error in the bottom of the eighth.

Daniel Bierce had two of the seven Lafayette hits and scored a run in the first inning. The Leopards added three runs in the top of the seventh inning to pull to within 12-6 but never threatened to pull any closer. Junior Michael Mayer (Midland Park, N.J.) worked two scoreless innings and allowed a hit to finish the game.

Villanova plays a three-game Big East series this weekend at Louisville. The games are scheduled for Friday and Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.