Box Score

NORFOLK, Va. – Matt Szczur went 4-for-6 with four RBI and Villanova right hander Brian Streilein fanned 12 hitters in 6.2 scoreless innings as Villanova topped Norfolk State 13-2 on Friday afternoon in the season-opener for both teams at Marty L. Miller Field.

Szczur was one of three Wildcats with multiple hits. Adam Nelson also had four hits (4-for-5) while knocking in three runs, and Tyler Sciacca was 2-for-3 with three runs scored.

After two scoreless innings, Villanova struck first in the top of the third inning. Szczur got it started with a one-out single. Spartan starting pitcher Jason Barker (Chesapeake, Va.) then walked the next three hitters to force in Szczur with the game's first run.

Szczur plated two runs in the fourth with a two-out double to left-center field. In the fifth, Kevin Wager and Matt Fleishman executed a double-steal of home and second, with Wager scoring to make it 4-0. Nelson then scored Fleishman with a two-out single for a 5-0 Wildcats' edge.

Villanova added six runs in the seventh and two in the eighth to pad its lead.

Chris Joyce (Chesapeake, Va.) was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles to lead the Spartans. His two-run double in the eighth provided the only NSU runs, knocking in John Lynch (Newport News, Va.) and John Rasberry (Suffolk, Va.), who both singled. Rasberry also had two hits for the Spartans, who were out-hit 17-6.

Barker took the loss, allowing eight hits and five runs with four strikeouts in five innings. Streilein gave up just three hits and three walks in 6.2 innings to earn the win for VU.

The teams play again on Saturday at 1 p.m.