Xavier University Athletics
Xavier University
Saint Louis
Xavier Gets Back on Track; Defeats Saint Louis 8-7
04.15.06 | Baseball
April 15, 2006
Box Score
CINCINNATI - Xavier pounded out 15 hits and had eight of the nine starters record a hit en route to an 8-7 win over visiting Saint Louis on Saturday afternoon at Hayden Field. The Musketeers scored a run in each of the first five innings and evened the Atlantic 10 series at one game apiece. With the win, XU improves to 11-25 on the season and 3-8 in A-10 play, while Saint Louis falls to 18-15 overall and 7-4 in conference action.
The Musketeers opened the scoring in the bottom half of the first as senior Sean Brewer drew a walk with two outs. After letting the first pitch by, junior Chris Lozan drove the second pitch of his at-bat off the wall in left center to allow Brewer to score all the way from first and put the home team up 1-0.
The Billikens responded in the second with a home run and two singles that brought across another run making the score 2-1 in favor of the visitors.
After the second home run of the year by Matt Waskerwitz in the second tied the score at 2-2, Xavier took the lead for good in the top of the third when Dan Hayden took a 2-2 pitch down the right field line for his fifth double of the season. Hayden notched his 12th RBI on the play as well when Lozan crossed the plate making the score 3-2 in favor of the blue and white.
SLU would not go away and with the score 8-3 entering the top of the ninth, the Billikens would make the game interesting. After two errors allowed the first two Saint Louis batters to reach base, XU was finally able to record two outs but had runners at second and third. A wild pitch on the third strike to SLU's Musselman allowed the pinch hitter to reach first and load the bases with two outs. The Billikens would then produce back to back doubles to plate four runs and leave the tying run in scoring position at second base. The Xavier bullpen was then put into action as senior Steve Sakosits was called upon in relief of starter Mike Creevy. Sakosits would induce the fly out to left and pick up his first save of the season as XU held on, 8-7.
Hayden led the way for the Musketeers at the plate ending his day 3-for-5 with a home run, double, a run scored and three RBIs. Classmate Andy Zellers also had three hits in the game and finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Adam Lipski continued to stay hot at the plate and finished the game 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs and now has a season-best five game hitting streak in the works. Neil Lindgren followed up his two-home run effort yesterday with a 2-for-4 performance this afternoon, while Brewer, Lozan and Jordan Wolf each had a hit.
Mike Creevy almost went the distance in picking up his team-leading third win of the season. Creevy gave up seven runs (three earned) on eight hits and struck out five over his 8.2 innings pitched. Sakosits recorded the final out and now joins two other Musketeers with a save on the season.
The two teams will get back to the final game of the series tomorrow at Hayden Field. The first pitch is scheduled for noon with Xavier's Dan Graham getting the nod on the hill.
