Xavier University Athletics
Xavier University
Louisville
Three-Run Tenth Gives Xavier Win over Louisville
02.22.06 | Baseball
Feb. 22, 2006
Box Score
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Xavier spoiled Louisville's home opener at Jim Patterson Stadium by defeating the Cardinals, 11-9, in extra innings. Junior Andy Zellers put the blue and white up for good with his tenth-inning sacrifice fly to center to score Matt Waskerwitz as XU held on in the home half for the victory. The Musketeers rallied from an early 6-1 deficit after the fifth inning to take their second win of the season. Xavier evens its record at 2-2 on the season, while Louisville drops to an early 0-5 start.
XU got the second run of the tenth inning after the third wild pitch in the contest by Louisville allowed Adam Lipski to cross the plate. The Cardinals allowed an XU run to score on each of its three wild pitches during the game. Senior Sean Brewer drove in the last Xavier run of the afternoon with a single through the left side of the infield to plate freshman Neil Lindgren who reached on a walk.
Xavier fell behind 6-1 after five innings of play but rallied back in the sixth and seventh, plating two runs in each frame. A wild pitch and a Waskerwitz single to left allowed the two runs in the sixth inning. The Musketeers followed that effort up with a Dan Hayden single up the middle to score Jordan Wolf and Collin Salzenstein in the seventh.
Drew Roberts, the current Atlantic 10 Player of the Week, blasted a three-run home run over the left field wall in the top of the ninth to give Xavier an 8-7 lead and cap the XU comeback. However, the shot by Roberts was answered in the bottom half of the inning by Louisville with an RBI single to left by freshman Casey Albanese scoring Isaiah Howes, which sent the contest to extra innings.
Freshman Brett Greenwell worked the final two innings to pick up his first collegiate win and even his record at 1-1 on the season. Greenwell went two innings, gave up one earned run on two hits, and faced 10 Cardinal hitters. Xavier used five pitchers on the afternoon with Mark Janszen getting the nod to start. Dan Graham was the first Musketeer out of the pen and was followed by Steve Sakosits, Matt Lucas and then Greenwell.
Brewer was 4-for-6 on the afternoon with his first career triple. He scored twice and knocked in one. Wolf ended the day 2-for-4 with his first double of the season and also crossed the plate twice. Salzenstein, Hayden and Roberts were the only other Musketeers with multiple hit games as each finished with two. Roberts ended with a double and the go-ahead home run in the ninth, while Hayden and Salzenstein each had two singles.
Xavier is now 1-2 against the Cardinals in extra innings in the all-time series. The last time an XU-U of L game went into extras was during the 1999 season. The Musketeers also snapped Louisville's streak of 22 straight wins when leading after eight innings of play.
Xavier will return to the diamond this weekend as the team will begin its spring break trip to the Carolinas. The Musketeers will take on No. 26 Winthrop this weekend in a three game set starting on Friday at 4:00 pm. The teams will square off again on Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 pm.
