MERION STATION, Pa. – The Saint Joseph's baseball team wrapped up its home non-conference slate with a blowout victory, topping Villanova by a 13-6 score.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Villanova (11-31) took the lead in the first inning on a double steal.
 
• The Hawks answered in the bottom of the frame with three runs on an RBI single by Conlan Wall, a sacrifice fly by Ryan Weingartner, and a home run by Justin Igoe.
 
• Ryan Picollo hit a solo home run in the second before Brett Callahan scored on a wild pitch and Ryan Cesarini hit a two-run shot to push the lead to 7-1 after two.
 
• Callahan added a two-run double in the third to make it a 9-1 game before the Wildcats got one back on an RBI double by Jack O'Reilly.
 
• Saint Joseph's (20-19-1) hung four more on the board in the fifth.  With the bases loaded, Ryan Cesarini hit a ground ball that forced an error and allowed two runs to score and push the lead to 11-2.  Another sac fly from Weingartner and a single by Colin Myers made it a 13-2 game.
 
• The Wildcats clawed back a pair of runs in the seventh before hanging singletons on the board in the eighth and ninth to set the final margin.
 
BEHIND THE BOX SCORE
• Peter Gallo allowed a run on three hits in two innings of work to earn the win, while Jack Povey was charged with six runs on four hits in an inning and two-thirds to take the loss.
 
• Callahan notched three hits and scored three runs while driving in two more.  Cesarini had three RBI on the day with Weingartner adding two, and Wall scored three times after going 1-for-1 with four walks.
 
• The Hawks ended their nine-game homestand unbeaten, winning eight games to go with a rain-shortened tie.
 
UP NEXT
The Hawks head to Dayton for a critical Atlantic 10 series with the Flyers.