Xavier University Athletics
Xavier University
Western Kentucky
Musketeers Fall in Opener at Western Kentucky
02.23.07 | Baseball
Feb. 23, 2007
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - After posting the highest run total of the young season, Xavier could not stave off a persistent Western Kentucky offense and dropped the opening game of the series, 10-6. The game marks the home-opener for the Hilltoppers and the fourth road game of a 16-game road trek to open the season. The loss drops XU to 0-4 on the season, while WKU improves to 3-1 overall.
Xavier fell behind early as a homerun quickly made the score 2-0 in favor of the Hilltoppers. XU would rally to score the next three runs of the game with one coming in the second and two in the third before WKU knotted the score at 3-3 after three complete innings.
The score would again be tied after the Blue and White crossed one in the fourth and two more in the sixth but the home team struck with three in the fifth as the score read 6-6 after six complete.
The final blow by Western Kentucky came as they plated four unanswered in the seventh and cruised to their first home win of the season.
The Musketeers got another quality start out of righty Michael Lucas. The junior went five innings and allowed six runs on nine hits but struck out three in the process. Senior Mark Janszen also gave a solid effort on the mound throwing two innings of four-hit ball allowing four runs but only one earned.
Sophomore Brett Greenwell came in to pitch a perfect eighth inning and recorded two strikeouts to give XU a chance in the top of the ninth but the two-out rally was ended before any damage could be done.
At the plate, two players notched three hits on the afternoon. Senior Jordan Wolf finished 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored, while sophomore Adam Pasono had a career-high three hits and finished 3-for-4 with a double, RBI and run. Classmate Steve Brown started the day 2-for-2 and finished 2-for-5 with a team-high two RBIs to go along with a double and run. Adam Lipski and Neil Lindgren each recorded a hit that produced an RBI.
The teams will return to the diamond tomorrow afternoon with the first pitch slated for 2:00 pm CT. Xavier's Bill Konecny will make his second start of the season and go against WKU's freshman lefty Bart Carter.
