PHILADELPHIA (April 15) -- Georgetown's baseball team lost 10-5 and 6-2 to Villanova in baseball doubleheader action on Saturday, April 15, at Richie Ashburn Field. The Hoyas' overall record falls to 12-29 and 1-13 in BIG EAST play, while the Wildcats improve to 18-17 overall and 6-8 in the Conference.
Four players, including three from 'Nova, hit home runs in game one which ended in a 10-5 Wildcats win. VU first baseman Rob Cafiero went 3-4 with four RBI, a run scored, and a home run to lead the 'Cats. GU catcher Pat Wade (Jr., Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown) lit one over the fence for the hometown crowd. He went 2-3 with one RBI and a run.
In the first, left fielder Josh Corman (Sr., Lexington, Ky./Lafayette) doubled, then stole third and stole home for GU's only lead of the game. Villanova scored twice in the bottom of the frame, and Cafiero's two RBI homer in the second and left fielder Dave Pizzini's fielder's choice RBI gave the 'Cats a 5-1 advantage. Corman led off the third with a single. Right fielder Brian Cassese (Jr., Scarsdale, N.Y./Eastchester) tripled to score Corman and center fielder Jim Vankoski (Jr., Aston, Pa./Strath Haven) singled to bring home Cassese. After third baseman Eric Santana (Santurce, P.R./Edgewood) walked and Wade grounded out, first baseman Eric Sutton (So., Deerfield Beach, Fla./Deerfield Beach) grounded out to score Vankoski and trimmed VU's advantage to 5-4.
The Wildcats responded with three scores in the bottom of the third. 'Nova second baseman Matt Longo added a home run in the fourth. Wade's homer fell in the fifth, but Villanova right fielder Brian Hearne capped one in the bottom of the frame for the final 10-5 score. Junior Matt Arizin (Philadelphia, Pa./Penn Charter) started on the mound for GU going 2-1/3 innings allowing six earned runs off seven hits. Aaron Krawiec claimed the win for VU.
Game two was a pitchers dual between the Hoyas' Jim Vankoski and the Wildcats' Brian Slocum. Villanova scored first with an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth. Georgetown tied the game in the fifth when Brian Cassese scored an unearned run off a passed ball. 'Nova took the lead again off Nick Piantek's sacrifice fly in the sixth. But, GU made it 2-2 in the top of the eighth after Vankoski reached on an error and left fielder Jason Boice (Fr., Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) doubled to score Vankoski.
Reliever Tony Pina (So., Middleboro, Mass./Middleboro) came in for Vankoski in the bottom of the eighth and allowed four earned runs off three hits with two strikeouts giving the Wildcats a 6-2 margin. Brian Manning, who came in for Slocum, allowed two walks but also struck out two to preserve the win. Vankoski commanded seven innings allowing one earned run off five hits while Slocum went eight innings giving up no earned runs off five hits.
The final game of the series is on Sunday, April 16, beginning at 12 noon.
