PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA - After rallying for three runs in the seventh to pull out a 4-3 win in the opener, Rutgers (10-8, 1-1 BE) was held hitless for 7.1 innings in the nightcap, falling 3-1 to Villanova and splitting a doubleheader to open BIG EAST baseball action this afternoon. Rutgers received strong starting pitching efforts from Aaron Kalb (Middletown, NJ) in game one and Tom Malafronte (Somerville, NJ) in game two, but struggled offensively, mustering just seven hits in the two games.
Trailing 2-1 in the seventh and final inning of game one, David Williams (Franklin, NJ) opened with a single and moved over to second when a sacrifice bunt by Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, NJ) was errantly thrown, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Pinch-hitter Ryan Hill (Hillsdale, NJ), also attempting a sacrifice bunt, pulled back on the first strike and bunted the second foul but drilled a single through the right side on a 1-2 count to score Williams and tie the game at 2-2. Todd Frazier (Toms River, NJ), 0-for-2 with two strikeouts, then singled up the middle to give RU a 3-2 lead and then stole second on the first pitch to Jeff Grose (Iselin, NJ) to move into scoring position. When Grose flied out deep to center, Frazier scored all the way from second and just ahead of the throw, using a skillful slide to avert the tag with an insurance run.
That run proved pivotal as Williams, who started the Scarlet Knights' rally in the top of the inning, started Villanova's in the bottom half by dropping a routine fly ball in right. RU reliever Sean Spicer (Pearl River, NY) allowed back-to-back one-out singles as Villanova pulled within one, 4-3, but bounced back with a popup and strikeout to leave the bases loaded at the end of the game.
Kalb took a no-hitter and 1-0 lead into the fourth, but was nicked for a run which knotted the game at 1-1 and, after a scoreless fifth, was stung by an infield error, as Villanova capitalized to take a 2-1 lead. Kalb turned the ball over to Spicer, who induced a lineout double play with the bases loaded to keep the Scarlet Knights within striking distance. RU's first run came across in the first when Grose doubled to left and scored on a wild pitch.
Spicer (2-1) picked up the win, allowing just one unearned run in 1.2 innings of work, while VU's Nick Allen suffered his first loss of the season.
In the nightcap, Malafronte allowed just one earned run in six innings of work, but left trailing 2-1 as Villanova's Mike Loree allowed just one hit and one unearned run in 7.1 innings of work. The Wildcats opened the fourth with a single and a pair of walks to set up its first run and took the lead an inning later when Malafronte threw away a bunt, allowing Ryan Arcadia to reach base. Arcadia eventually scored on a wild pitch for a 2-1 lead and Villanova tacked on an insurance run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly, taking advantage of back-to-back singles off RU reliever Ryan Bradley (Overland Park, KS).
Malafronte (0-3) was the tough-luck loser, allowing just three hits and one earned run in six innings. Frazier had Rutgers' lone hit, a one-out single in the eighth.
Rutgers continues BIG EAST action on Saturday, when plays a doubleheader at Pittsburgh beginning at noon.
The Automated ScoreBook
Rutgers at Villanova
Mar 24, 2005 at Plymouth Meeting, PA (VU Baseball Field)
Rutgers 4 (10-7,1-0 BIG EAST)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
FRAZIER, Todd ss......... 3 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 0
GROSE, Jeff lf........... 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
GAYNOR, Colin dh......... 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
HOOK, Steve 1b........... 2 0 0 0 1 1 4 1 1
DEFENDIS, Johnny cf...... 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0
RODRIGUEZ, Cory 2b....... 3 0 1 0 0 0 3 3 2
WILLIAMS, Dave rf........ 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
GOSSARD, Jon c........... 2 0 0 0 0 1 7 0 0
QUERNS, Tim 3b........... 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 2
HILL, Ryan ph........... 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
GROVER, Jason 3b........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
KALB, Aaron p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
SPICER, Sean p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Totals................... 26 4 6 3 2 6 21 10 5
Villanova 3 (10-5-1,0-1 BIG EAST)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
R. Arcadia dh............ 3 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0
J. Dolbier rf............ 4 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 2
A. Petracca 3b........... 3 2 1 1 1 0 2 2 0
J. Hunt 1b............... 3 0 1 0 0 0 10 1 1
A. Day lf................ 2 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 0
D. Shunk ss.............. 4 0 1 1 0 2 1 2 4
M. Cardillo 2b........... 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 5 0
A. Wendle c.............. 3 0 1 0 0 0 5 1 2
K. Molloy cf............. 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
N. Allen p............... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Totals................... 27 3 7 2 4 6 21 13 9
Score by Innings R H E
-----------------------------------------
Rutgers............. 100 000 3 - 4 6 3
Villanova........... 000 101 1 - 3 7 3
-----------------------------------------
E - J. Grose; D. Williams; T. Querns; A. Petracca; J. Hunt 2. DP - Rutgers
1; Villanova 1. LOB - Rutgers 5; Villanova 9. 2B - J. Grose; J. Hunt. HBP -
M. Cardillo. SH - J. Gossard; J. Hunt. SF - J. Grose. SB - T. Frazier.
Rutgers IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
KALB, Aaron......... 5.1 5 2 1 3 4 20 24
SPICER, Sean........ 1.2 2 1 0 1 2 7 9
Villanova IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
N. Allen............ 7.0 6 4 4 2 6 26 30
Win - S. Spicer (2-1). Loss - N. Allen (3-1). Save - None.
WP - Aaron Kalb; N. Allen. HBP - by S. Spicer (M. Cardillo). BK - Aaron Kalb; N.
Allen.
Umpires -
Start: 12:00 pm Time: 2:18 Attendance: 150
Game: NOVA-1
The Automated ScoreBook
Rutgers at Villanova
Mar 24, 2005 at Plymouth Meeting, PA (VU Baseball Field)
Rutgers 1 (10-8,1-1 BIG EAST)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
FRAZIER, Todd ss......... 3 0 1 0 1 1 1 3 0
GROSE, Jeff lf........... 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0
GAYNOR, Colin dh......... 3 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1
HOOK, Steve 1b........... 4 0 0 0 0 1 11 0 3
DEFENDIS, Johnny cf...... 4 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 1
RODRIGUEZ, Cory 2b....... 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 0
WILLIAMS, Dave rf........ 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
GOSSARD, Jon c........... 3 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0
GROVER, Jason 3b......... 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
MALAFRONTE, Tom p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
BRADLEY, Ryan p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
PUSTAY, Matt p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals................... 30 1 1 1 3 4 24 9 5
Villanova 3 (11-5-1,1-1 BIG EAST)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
R. Arcadia dh............ 4 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0
J. Dolbier rf............ 3 0 1 0 1 1 3 0 0
A. Petracca 3b........... 2 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 2
J. Hunt 1b............... 3 1 0 0 1 0 7 2 4
A. Day lf................ 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0
D. Shunk ss.............. 3 0 2 0 1 1 1 4 0
M. Cardillo 2b........... 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 0
K. Pickel c.............. 3 0 0 0 1 0 4 0 1
K. Molloy cf............. 4 1 2 0 0 0 6 0 2
M. Loree p............... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
T. Aust p............... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
M. Grodecki p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Totals................... 29 3 7 1 6 4 27 9 9
Score by Innings R H E
-------------------------------------------
Rutgers............. 001 000 000 - 1 1 1
Villanova........... 000 110 10X - 3 7 2
-------------------------------------------
E - Malafronte; D. Shunk; K. Molloy. DP - Rutgers 2. LOB - Rutgers 5;
Villanova 9. SF - A. Petracca.
Rutgers IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
MALAFRONTE, Tom..... 6.0 3 2 1 5 4 20 25
BRADLEY, Ryan....... 0.1 2 1 1 0 0 3 3
PUSTAY, Matt........ 1.2 2 0 0 1 0 6 8
Villanova IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
M. Loree............ 7.1 1 1 0 3 3 25 28
T. Aust............. 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 2 2
M. Grodecki......... 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 3 3
Win - M. Loree (4-0). Loss - Malafronte (0-3). Save - M. Grodecki .
WP - Malafronte; M. Pustay.
Umpires -
Start: 3:00 pm Time: 2:14 Attendance: 150
Game: NOVA-2
