Box Score
NORFOLK, Va. – Visiting Villanova scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning to rally past host Norfolk State for a 2-1 win on Friday afternoon in the first game of the teams' series at
Marty L. Miller Field.
After being shut down for seven innings by NSU starter Jordan Egan, a Connor Jones sacrifice fly tied the game at 1-all, then Tyler Sciacca scored pinch runner Jordan Zech from third with a well-placed bunt single to give the Wildcats (1-3) the lead in the eighth inning. NSU (1-4) got a runner into scoring position in the bottom of the ninth inning, but couldn't draw even.
The game was a pitchers' duel between right handers Egan of NSU and Pat Young of Villanova. Neither team scored until the fourth inning. NSU shortstop Justin Lee led off with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and moved to third on a two-out wild pitch by Young. Lee scored when Chris Warren blasted a triple over Villanova center fielder Paul Rambaud's head to make it 1-0.
The remained 1-0 in NSU's favor until the eighth. Egan got through seven innings unscathed, but ran into trouble in the eighth. Marlon Calbi was hit by a pitch to start the eighth, and Egan then walked Steve Schrenk. After a sacrifice by Matt Fleishman moved both runners up a base, Egan was relieved in favor of Ryan VanAssche. Jones hit a fly ball into left-center to allow Calbi to score the tying run from third. Zech, pinch running for Schrenk, was able to advance to third base on the sac fly, and scored on Sciacca's bunt single to give the Wildcats a 2-1 lead.
NSU was unable to score off VU reliever Matt Lengel, who earned his first save of the year. But the Spartans did make it interesting in the ninth. First baseman Ross Cardwell hit a one-out double for NSU, but Lengel retired Rafael Colon and Shane Hoggard to end it.
Young struck out nine hitters and allowed just five hits and one run in seven innings to improve to 1-1 on the year. Egan, whose scoreless streak of 14 innings to start the year was snapped in the eighth, dropped to 0-1 after giving up just six hits and two runs in 7.1 innings. He walked two and struck out five.
Lengel allowed two hits and walked one in two scoreless innings for the save.
Calbi, Sciacca and Kevin Wager had two hits each for the Wildcats, who out-hit NSU 8-7. Seven different Spartans had one hit apiece.
The teams play game two of the series tomorrow at 1 p.m.
