PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. – The University of Pennsylvania baseball program fell victim to a late Villanova comeback in a Liberty Bell Classic first-round game in Plymouth Meeting on Wednesday, the Wildcats making up a four-run deficit to defeat the Quakers, 5-4.
 
PENN 4, VILLANOVA 5
WP: Gordon Graceffo (1-4)
LP: Dylan Mulvihill (0-2)
S: Nick Lorusso (1)
 
NOTES
*Eduardo Malinowski hit his fifth triple of the season with a shot into right-center in the second inning.
 
*Joe Miller earned his third start of the season today. He threw three scoreless frames with seven strikeouts and no hits allowed.
 
*Kevin Eaise replaced Miller on the mound in the bottom of the fourth. He pitched three frames with one run allowed on one hit and three strikeouts.
 
*Craig Larsen extended his hit streak to 11 games with a double in the third.

*Jackson Petersen tallied a career high three RBI on the day.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Penn got on the board first in the second inning. Malinowski got into scoring position with a triple to right center and scored after Petersen grounded out to first base.
 
On the mound, Miller was lights out in his third start of the season. The freshman hurler pitched three scoreless frames with no hits allowed and struck out seven of the 10 batters he faced.
 
The Quakers added on three more runs in the fourth. Hernandez led off with a single through the left side and advanced to third on a Malinowski double. Both runners scored after Petersen smacked a double down the left-field line to make it 3-0. McGeagh then hit an RBI single to right to bring home Petersen on the following at-bat, putting Penn up by four.
 
Villanova finally got its first hit of the game in the bottom of the sixth, but that opened the floodgates. With a runner on first, Chris Rotondo hit a triple to the gap in left center to get a run back. The Wildcats then added a second run in the seventh with a sacrifice fly and continued to rally in the eighth. They loaded the bases with a leadoff triple and a pair of walks, then tied the game with a double into right center. Villanova took its first lead of the game later in the inning with another sacrifice fly, this one to right center.
 
Penn still had a chance to bat after that but went three up, three down in the ninth.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Quakers continue Ivy League play this weekend as Penn welcomes Brown to Meiklejohn Stadium for a three-game series. Game One is slated to start on Saturday with first pitch coming at 11:30 a.m.