Baseball Clinches Weekend Series in 8-5 Win Over Fairleigh Dickinson

Saturday, April 1

Hayden Field

1 p.m.

Xavier University

15-12

Fairleigh Dickinson

4-13

Fairleigh Dickinson

Xavier

Baseball Clinches Weekend Series in 8-5 Win Over Fairleigh Dickinson

04.01.17 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Season Stats (PDF)

Musketeers strand bases loaded in ninth inning to seal series win

By: Brendan Bergen, Xavier Athletics Communication

CINCINNATI – Xavier baseball clinched a weekend series win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday, stranding the bases loaded in the ninth to take an 8-5 win over the Knights at Hayden Field.

The Musketeers, who are 8-2 in their last 10, improved to 15-12 overall. The Knights dropped to 4-13 on the season.

XU AT THE PLATE

• After being held scoreless for just the third time this season on Wednesday at Miami (OH), Xavier's offense has scored 30 runs on 30 hits this weekend.
• Seven different players recorded a hit in the win.
• Joe Gellenbeck went 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, while also working his team-leading 22nd walk of the season.
• Chris Givin went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a walk. After missing 17 games, Givin is now hitting .417 (5-for-12) in three games since coming back from a hand injury.
• Connor Grammes went 2-for-4 with three RBI and XU's eighth homer of the weekend. He now has a team-best streak of 11 straight games reaching base.
• Grammes continues to swing a hot bat, recording a .526 (20-for-38) batting average with two homers and eight RBI over his last 11 games.
• Will LaRue (2-for-3, R) produced his second straight multi-hit game and stole his team-leading 12th base of the season.
• Mitch Gallagher (1-for-3, 2 R), Rylan Bannon (1-for-4, RBI) and Matt Fallon (1-for-3, R, 2 RBI) also recorded hits for XU.

XU ON THE MOUND

• Garrett Schilling (2-2) picked up the win, striking out three in six innings while allowing two runs on three hits. The only runs against the sophomore righty came on a two-run homer in the second inning.
• Matt Kent tossed 2.2 innings in relief, striking out three and allowing three runs.
• Taylor Williams closed out the win, getting a strikeout with the bases loaded in the ninth to record his fourth save.

HOW XU SCORED

• FOURTH INNING: Mitch Gallagher led off with a double to right and later scored on a two-out homer to left center by Conor Grammes.
• FIFTH INNING: Will LaRue started a two-out rally with a single and a steal of second, coming around to score on a single to right by Matt Fallon.
• SIXTH INNING: Joe Gellenbeck walked to start the inning and the stole second with one out before coming home on a single to left center by Conor Grammes.
• SEVENTH INNING: Chris Givin led off with a walk, moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Nate Soria. A single by Will LaRue then put runners on the corners for Matt Fallon, who dropped a bunt down the first base line. All runners were safe on the ensuing play, making it 5-3. Fallon later stole second and scored on a clutch two-run single to right by Joe Gellenbeck. XU got its final run on an RBI double down the left field line by Rylan Bannon.

UP NEXT

• Xavier wraps up the series on Sunday against Fairleigh Dickinson with first pitch scheduled for Noon at Hayden Field.