PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. (May 14, 2011) – Villanova scored four runs in the ninth inning to defeat the Rutgers baseball team, 5-4, Saturday afternoon at Villanova Ballpark in Plymouth Meeting, Pa. The Scarlet Knights (18-28, 9-14 BIG EAST) and Wildcats (18-30, 5-18 BIG EAST) will decide the series Sunday at 12:15 p.m.
Rutgers used timely hitting and another strong outing from sophomore starter Rob Smorol (Clark, N.J.) to surge out to an early 3-0 lead.
Like they did the day before, the Scarlet Knights pushed across multiple runs with two outs. Freshman Nick Favatella (Washington Twp., N.J.) got the two-out rally started in the third with a single to center field and senior D.J. Anderson (Randolph, N.J.) reached on an infield error to put a pair of runners on. A passed ball moved both Scarlet Knights into scoring position and cleanup hitter Russ Hopkins (Piscataway, N.J.) did just that, driving in both runners with an infield single on the left side.
RU threatened to add to its lead one inning later as senior Brandon Boykin (Teaneck, N.J.) led off the fourth with a single, was sacrificed over to second and swiped third, but Villanova starter Kyle McMyne, one of the nation’s leaders in strikeouts, recorded a pair of strikeouts to get out of the jam unscathed.
Just as he did in the third, Favatella played a role in the Scarlet Knights’ third run of the contest, as the freshman reached on an infield error in the fifth and moved to third on a pair of wild pitches. The alert Scarlet Knight capitalized on a passed ball on a dropped third strike later in the inning, racing home to extend the RU lead to 3-0.
Meanwhile, Smorol continued to cruise with six innings of scoreless ball and six strikeouts with just six hits allowed. He did not give up an extra-base hit during his outing.
After Favatella opened the seventh with a walk, the clouds opened up and a rain shower suspended the game for a little more than hour. The delay suspended the Scarlet Knights’ momentum in the contest and forced Smorol out of the contest.
Sophomore reliever Rob Corsi (Oceanport, N.J.) came in for Smorol after play resumed and worked a scoreless seventh.
Singles by David Koczirka and Dain Hall put runners on for Villanova with one out in the eighth. Corsi got Michael Erb to hit a groundball to third base. RU attempted to turn an inning-ending double play to get out of the jam but an errant throw to first allowed the Wildcats to score their first run of the contest on the play.
Rutgers got that run right back in the ninth as senior Michael Lang (Dumont, N.J.) followed a Pat Sweeney (Sparta, N.J.) single up the middle with an RBI triple to center field to push the RU lead to 4-1.
With the three-run lead, Corsi handed the ball over to closer Jerry Elsing (Montville, N.J.) in the ninth. Elsing, making his first appearance since April 8, got a quick strikeout, but issued three walks to load the bases with one out. Koczirka drove in a run with a single to right field. With the bases still loaded, RU went to its bullpen for reliever Joe Esposito (Metuchen, N.J.). Matt Fleischman got a second run home on a single to make it 4-3. Hall then drove in the tying run and winning score with a double to center field as the Wildcats completed the come-from-behind victory.
Elsing (0-2) suffered the loss with four runs allowed in one third of an inning of relief. Villanova closer Mike Francisco (3-2) picked up the win in relief after entering in the top of the ninth and recording a pair of groundouts.
Both starters enjoyed strong outings with Smorol tossing six innings of scoreless ball with six strikeouts and McMyne posting nine strikeouts without an earned run allowed (surrendered three total) on four hits in six innings of work.
Lang’s ninth-inning triple was the 13th of his career, moving into a tie with David DeJesus (1998-2000), Nick Cerulo (2001-04) and Ray Van Cleef (1949-51) for third place in school history in career triples.
Rutgers and Villanova will close the series Sunday with a 12:15 p.m. game. Junior righty Ryan Fasano (Stony Point, N.Y.) will get the ball for the Scarlet Knights against freshman righty Max Almonte for the Wildcats.
