PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - Senior pitcher Steve Healing (Brick, N.J.) retired 11-straight batters at one point and allowed just one earned run in 7.2 innings while Ryan Hill (Hillsdale, N.J.) hit a three-run home run to lead a 12-hit attack as Rutgers cruised to an 8-2 victory over Villanova in the series opener Thursday afternoon at Villanova Ballpark.
The BIG EAST-leading Scarlet Knights improve to 19-6 in the league and 35-17 overall. Should St. John's fall in a Thursday evening contest at USF, RU would take over sole possession of first place in the conference with two games remaining in the regular season. The 19 victories tie for the most league wins in school history, equaling the 2003 BIG EAST regular-season champion record of 19-6 and the 1999 record of 19-7. The Wildcats dropped to 11-14 in the conference and 27-22 overall.
After giving up a hit to Villanova's Ryan Arcadia to leadoff the game, Healing didn't surrender another hit until one out into the seventh inning. Arcadia capitalized on a Scarlet Knight error to score later in the opening frame to take a 1-0 lead. That lead would be short-lived, however, as Rutgers plated three runs in the second and Healing followed with six shutout innings heading into the eighth. He improved to 8-3 on the year and 6-1 in the BIG EAST with two total runs on five hits and four strikeouts in 7.2 innings.
In the second, sophomore Tom Edwards (Caldwell, N.J.) drew a one-out walk, moved to second on a Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) single and came around to score on an RBI single to left field off the bat of Tim Querns (Cherry Hill, N.J.). Gossard scored the go-ahead run on a Luis Feliz (New Brunswick, N.J.) sacrifice fly. RU loaded the bases later in the frame and Mike Bionde (Pompton Plains, N.J.) drew a two-out walk to bring home a third run.
A two-out rally in the fourth then blew the game open for Rutgers. Junior All-American Todd Frazier (Toms River, N.J.) got things started with a four-pitch walk with two retired in the frame. Bionde then found a hole in right-center field for a single to put runners at the corners and Ryan Hill (Hillsdale, N.J.) delivered the big blow with three-run home run over the right-field fence to make it 6-1 in favor of the Scarlet Knights. The home run was Hill's ninth of the season and 21st of his career, tying him for ninth place on the school's all-time home run list.
A Villanova error proved costly as a wild throw by the shortstop put Bionde aboard to leadoff the sixth and senior All-American candidate Dave Williams (Franklin, N.J.) drove him home two plays later with a single to left field to give RU a 7-1 advantage.
The Scarlet Knights tacked on an eighth run in the seventh inning when Wildcat reliever Nate Hall, facing his fifth batter, balked with the bases loaded to score Querns (single) and give RU an 8-1 lead.
In the Villanova seventh, the Wildcats got their first hit since the first batter of the game, recording back-to-back singles with one out. Healing settled down, inducing a fielder's choice and a groundout to third to get out of the inning unscathed.
After giving up two hits, including an RBI triple with two outs in the eighth, Healing handed the ball over to reliever Jason Downey (Ballston Lake, N.Y.). Downey prevented the runner from scoring with a big, inning-ending strikeout.
Senior closer Chris Lillis (Fair Haven, N.J.) came in for Downey in the ninth, tying the Rutgers record with his 80th career appearance. He got all three batters he faced out to close out the contest.
With three walks on the day, Frazier moved into a tie with Charles Bilezikjian of St. John's (1999-2002) for the second-most walks in BIG EAST history with 66 in his career in conference action. He also scored his 87th career run in league play to tie former Scarlet Knight Pete Zoccolillo (1996-99) for the fifth-most runs scored in BIG EAST history.
Villanova's Mike Loree was tagged with the loss, falling to 7-3 with eight runs (seven earned) on nine hits and seven strikeouts in six innings. Querns led the Scarlet Knights with three hits on the afternoon, going 3-for-5, scoring a run and driving in another.
Rutgers and Villanova will continue the series with a 4:00 p.m. game tomorrow at Villanova Ballpark. Freshman righty Casey Gaynor (Toms River, N.J.) will be on the mound for the Scarlet Knights. Junior righty Jordan Ellis is expected to get the start for the Wildcats.
