Box Score (PDF)

PHILADELPHIA - The University of Pennsylvania baseball team was kept in check by the Villanova pitching staff in Wednesday's midweek matchup, falling to the Wildcats, 3-1. Wednesday's setback was the Quakers' first at home in non-conference play this season despite 12 strikeouts on the day from Penn pitchers.

GAME 38
Villanova 3, Penn 1
WP: Jake Esp (1-1) LP: John Alan Kendrick (0-3) SV: Tyler Arella (1)

BY THE NUMBERS

*4 - Wednesday's loss was just the fourth this season when Penn leads after the third inning, moving its record to 16-4 in those contests.

*9.2 - Freshman Mitchell Holcomb extended his season-high scoreless streak to nine and two-thirds innings after holding Villanova scoreless over two and two-thirds innings to start Wednesday's game. Holcomb has also struck out ten between his last two outings.

*14 - After breaking out for 35 runs in the four-game series with Princeton, the Quakers have scored just 14 runs over their last six games, resulting in a 3-3 record.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Penn and Villanova traded scoreless frames for the first two innings Wednesday as neither team managed to string any hits together to break the scoreless tie early. Daniel Halevy looked to put an end to that trend with a leadoff double off the base of the wall in right to start the home half of the third inning. Following a failed pickoff attempt that resulted in Halevy moving up 90 feet to third, Matt Tola brought in the game's first run with a ground out as the Quakers took a 1-0 lead.

Zander Retamar's solo home run down the left field line drew Villanova (9-23, 2-4 Big East) even with Penn at one in the top of the fifth, before the Wildcats took a two-run lead with two unearned runs in the seventh - capped off by David Gulati's RBI infield single.

The Quakers had their opportunities to take the lead heading into the late innings, but stranded the go-ahead run at third in the sixth after Chris Adams' leadoff double before Penn left the bases loaded in the seventh, squandering an opportunity to at least tie the game.

Villanova's Tyler Arella tossed two and two-thirds innings of one-hit ball to secure a 3-1 win for the Wildcats, while also recording his first save of the season. Jack Hartman struck out four in two-plus innings of work out of the bullpen for the Quakers.

WHAT'S NEXT

Penn (21-17, 11-5 Ivy) returns to action Friday to begin the final weekend of Ivy League regular season play in a home-and-home series with Columbia (14-21, 9-7 Ivy) with the Gehrig Division title on the line. Friday's doubleheader at Columbia is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. before the Quakers return home for the final two games of the series at Meiklejohn Stadium Saturday.

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