Xavier University Athletics
Xavier University
No. 1 Dayton
Baseball Eliminates Dayton, 11-3, with Five-Run Seventh
05.22.09 | Baseball
May 22, 2009
Box Score |
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DAYTON, Ohio - Senior Billy O'Conner was a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored at the plate as the Xavier baseball team recorded its school-record 36th win in convincing fashion Friday night by eliminating Dayton, 11-3, in the 2009 Atlantic 10 Championship. With the win, the Musketeers move on to the title game versus Rhode Island Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m.
With tonight's win, XU moves to 3-1 in this year's tournament, the first time the team has ever recorded three wins in the A-10 Championship. Sophomore John McCambridge came up big again for the Musketeers, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored while two other Muskies also recorded multi-hit games.
Dayton (38-19) put up the first run of the game in the second inning after Scott Dunwoody's triple down the right line narrowly staid fair, bounced off the bullpen mound and into a corner which scored Jimmy Roesinger from first. In the third, the Flyers' Marshall MacDonald plated Zach Jacob from first with his double to right center to give UD the 2-0 margin after two and a half.
Xavier (36-19) got on the board in the third after O'Conner reached on a single to left field. Junior Drew Schmidt moved him over to third with a single to right and junior Neil Lindgren collected an RBI as O'Conner reached home on a fielder's choice. After three complete, the Flyers held the slim 2-1 advantage.
The Musketeers got three runs in the fourth as senior Steve Brown took a base on balls with two outs. McCambridge doubled Brown in and senior Adam Pasono followed with a walk as well. With O'Conner at the plate, both runners stole a base and O'Conner came through with a huge single up the middle to score both. Xavier took its first lead of the game, 4-2.
In the sixth, Brown was walked again and was moved over on a sacrifice bunt from McCambridge. O'Conner stepped to the plate and remained perfect as his fourth single of the day sent home Brown.
Five more runs came in during the seventh, all with two outs, starting with junior Bobby Freking's single that plated senior Jordan Conley and McCambridge collected his second RBI of the game with a single to right. Pinch hitter senior Sean Farrell was walked and replaced on the bag by freshman Matt Kleifges. Kleifges was brought across on Pasono's single and Schmidt returned the favor, knocking in Pasono to complete the scoring burst for the Musketeers. After seven, XU held a commanding 10-2 lead.
The Flyers' Jonathan Castine sent a solo shot over the right field fence in the top of the eighth for Dayton's last run of the contest. The Musketeers put one more up in the eighth as well off McCambridge's third RBI of the night, to go up by eight, 11-3, which would prove to be the final score.
Sophomore Brian Muransky (6-2) got the win for the Musketeers after throwing three scoreless innings. He gave up only one hit and struck out three while walking only one. Starter freshman Josh Deeg tossed four innings for XU and senior Joe Kohler and freshman Shane Liska combined for the last two innings of the contest.
Eric Wagner (6-1) took the loss for the Musketeers as he put in 4.1 innings of work, He gave up four runs on five hits and was unable to record a strikeout while walking three.
No. 3 Xavier will face No. 2 Rhode Island Saturday in the title game. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. at Fifth Third Field but XU must beat URI twice to take the crown.
