PISCATAWAY, NJ - Villanova scored two runs in the top of the ninth to break a 6-6 tie, defeating Rutgers, 8-6, in BIG EAST baseball action Saturday afternoon at the Class of 1953 Complex in Piscataway, NJ.
The Scarlet Knights fall to 8-14-1 overall and 1-4 in BIG EAST play, while the Wildcats move to 12-12 overall and 1-4 in the league.
In a drastic change from Friday’s pitchers duel, each team’s offense exploded in the first inning on Saturday. Back-to-back home runs by Derek Shunk and Jeremy Hunt gave Villanova a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but Rutgers countered with three runs in the bottom of the inning, capped by Frank Meade’s (Linden, NJ) two-run blast to left field – his seventh home run of the season.
RU tacked on a run in the second inning to build a two-run cushion. Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, NJ) slapped a two-out single to center field, moved to second after Jeff Grose’s (Iselin, NJ) hit to the second baseman was misplayed and advanced to third on a wild pitch, where Vic Cegles (Phoenix, AZ) drove him home with an infield single.
Villanova jumped ahead, 5-4, with three runs on four hits, including a pair of doubles in the third inning, signaling the end of the day for RU starter Matt Pustay (Hamilton, NJ). Junior Mark Lampariello (Annandale, NJ) relieved Pustay with two outs in the inning, getting a fly out to end the inning on the first batter he faced.
Following a rain delay of more than an hour, Frazier tied the game up with a solo home run to left field – his third of the year – in the fifth inning.
Lampariello pitched 3.1 innings of scoreless relief before putting the leadoff hitter on in the seventh, where he handed the ball over to junior Chris Lillis (Fair Haven, NJ). With a runner on second base and no outs Lillis got the first batter he faced to pop up a sacrifice bunt attempt for the first out. After the runner advanced to third on a passed ball, the next play provided a scary moment for everyone. The batter hit a line drive back to Lillis, ricocheting off his glove and then his face before it was corralled by Cegles at second base for the out. A dazed Lillis was assisted by the medical staff before miraculously returning to pitch. He proved he wasn’t fazed, inducing a pop out to end the inning to get Rutgers out of the jam.
Lillis got one out in the eighth before being relieved with a man on first base. The Wildcats moved the runner around against new RU pitcher Tim Woodhull (Princeton Junction, NJ), eventually scoring on a sacrifice fly to center field.
RU got the run back in the bottom of the inning, however, as Meade lead off with a ground-rule double and was sacrificed over to third where freshman Luis Feliz (New Brunswick, NJ) drove him home with a single to left field. The Scarlet Knights wanted more, loading the bases with two outs, but new Villanova pitcher, Gus Guida got Cegles to strike out to end the threat.
Villanova then jumped ahead for good after Hunt hit an RBI triple to deep center field with one out in the ninth. He later came around to score on a sacrifice fly to give Nova the 8-6 edge.
Meade hit a two-out single to left field for his third hit of the game, but was left stranded in the bottom of the ninth as the Wildcats pulled out the 8-6 victory.
Villanova’s Nate Hall got the victory, working 1.1 scoreless innings, giving up just one hit with two strikeouts in relief. Woodhull was saddled with the loss for RU, surrendering the two runs in the ninth.
The Scarlet Knights once again fell victim to runners left on base as the Scarlet Knights stranded nine on Saturday.
Rutgers looks to rebound as the Scarlet Knights and Wildcats wrap up their series on Sunday at noon at the Class of 1953 Baseball Complex.
2006 Rutgers Baseball
Villanova at Rutgers
Apr 01, 2006 at Piscataway, NJ (Class of '53 Complex)
Villanova 8 (12-12,1-4)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
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ARCADIA ss............... 5 0 1 0 0 0 3 1 2
MIRSKY dh................ 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SHUNK 2b................. 5 3 4 1 0 0 1 7 0
HUNT 1b.................. 4 3 3 2 0 0 8 0 1
CIRONE 3b................ 3 1 1 3 1 0 1 2 0
WENDLE c................. 4 0 3 1 0 0 4 0 1
COTTER pr/lf............ 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
DOLBIER rf............... 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 2
GRIFFITH lf.............. 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
ROSATI ph............... 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
GILLIN c................ 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0
MOLLOY cf................ 3 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0
LOREE p.................. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
GUIDA p................. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
HALL p.................. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals................... 36 8 12 8 2 1 27 10 7
Rutgers 6 (8-14-1,1-4)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
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GROSE, Jeff cf........... 3 1 0 0 2 1 5 0 0
CEGLES, Victor 2b........ 4 0 2 1 0 1 0 3 3
FRAZIER, Todd ss......... 4 1 1 2 1 1 0 5 0
HILL, Ryan lf............ 5 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 4
MEADE, Frank c........... 5 2 3 2 0 1 2 0 0
HOOK, Steve 1b........... 4 0 0 0 0 0 11 0 1
FELIZ, Luis rf........... 4 0 1 1 0 0 7 0 0
QUERNS, Tim 3b........... 4 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0
EDWARDS, Tom dh.......... 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1
STAVRAKIS, Nick ph...... 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
PUSTAY, Matt p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
LAMPARIELLO, Mark p..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
LILLIS, Chris p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
BAIONE, Joe p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
WOODHULL, Tim p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Totals................... 36 6 9 6 4 6 27 12 9
Score by Innings R H E
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Villanova........... 203 000 012 - 8 12 1
Rutgers............. 310 010 010 - 6 9 1
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E - SHUNK; CEGLES. LOB - Villanova 7; Rutgers 9. 2B - HUNT; CIRONE; MEADE.
3B - HUNT. HR - SHUNK; HUNT; FRAZIER; MEADE. HBP - DOLBIER; CEGLES. SH -
HUNT; HOOK. SF - CIRONE; MOLLOY. SB - GROSE; CEGLES; FELIZ.
Villanova IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
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LOREE............... 7.0 7 6 5 2 4 29 32
GUIDA............... 0.2 1 0 0 2 0 2 5
HALL................ 1.1 1 0 0 0 2 5 5
Rutgers IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
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PUSTAY, Matt........ 2.2 7 5 5 1 0 15 16
LAMPARIELLO, Mark... 3.1 2 0 0 0 1 11 12
LILLIS, Chris....... 1.1 1 1 1 0 0 5 5
BAIONE, Joe......... 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
WOODHULL, Tim....... 1.2 2 2 2 1 0 5 8
Win - HALL (2-1). Loss - WOODHULL (0-2). Save - None.
WP - LOREE. HBP - by LOREE (CEGLES); by BAIONE (DOLBIER). PB - WENDLE; MEADE.
Umpires - HP: Harry Greer 1B: Pete Amoruso 3B: Harry Greer
Start: Noon Time: 3:50 Attendance: 150
Game notes:
ID-408963
1:10 Rain Delay in the middle of the game
LAMPARIELLO faced 1 batter in the 7th.
BAIONE faced 1 batter in the 8th.
LOREE faced 1 batter in the 8th.
Game: 0401NOVA
