Xavier University
Vanderbilt
No. 1 Vanderbilt Too Much for Xavier
03.04.07 | Baseball
March 4, 2007
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - For the first time in program history, Xavier faced a team ranked first in the country. The Musketeers could not find a way to win, however, as No. 1 Vanderbilt pulled the three-game sweep over the Blue and White with the final today being 9-0. With the loss, XU falls to 1-10 on the young season and will look to rebound on the rest of its spring trip through the Carolinas. The Commodores, who are off to the best start in program history, improve to 14-0 overall and improve to 11-0 at home.
For the first time all weekend it was Vanderbilt who lit up the scoreboard first. VU posted one run in each of the first two innings to take the early 2-0 lead and the home team would not look back.
Junior transfer Kyle Cowden got the start on the hill and held the top team in the country to just two runs over his first four innings but ran into trouble late in the fifth before departing with a 6-0 deficit. Cowden finished allowing six runs on eight hits in five innings pitched, while striking out two.
The Musketeer pitching staff continued to not allow walks but today they issued 12 hits with two homeruns and did not get much help defensively as XU committed three errors on the afternoon.
Xavier threatened in the second as back to back singles by Robbie Kelley and Drew Schmidt, which extended the freshman's hitting streak to three games, put runners at first and second with one out. A strikeout and groundout would end the threat and leave two stranded. XU would total only six runners left on base during the game.
Senior Matt Waskerwitz finished the day 1-for-3 with XU's only extra-base hit in the form of a double. Waskerwitz extended his hitting streak to three games as he notched a hit in each game of the series. Adam Pasono would end the day 1-for-4 and also extend his current hitting streak to four games after his single in the top of the third. Jordan Wolf would round out the Xavier hits with a 1-for-3 effort and the senior picked up his team-leading third stolen base of the year.
Sophomore Brett Greenwell came in the game to relive Cowden and went two allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits with a strikeout. David Hartman allowed his first hit of the season in the bottom of the eighth to push his scoreless innings on the season to two.
The Musketeers will get right back to work as the team travels to Elon for a single-game set with the Phoenix tomorrow afternoon. First pitch is slated for 4:00 pm and starters for both teams are still to be determined.
