Xavier University Athletics
Xavier University
Saint Joseph's
Xavier Sweeps Series with Saint Joseph's
05.20.06 | Baseball
May 20, 2006
PHILADELPHIA - It took 11 innings but Xavier was able to pull off the Atlantic 10 series sweep over host Saint Joseph's on Saturday afternoon at Elmwood Park. The win marks the fifth in a row and puts the Musketeers at 19-37 for the season. XU ends with a record of 9-18 in conference play, while SJU finishes at 17-39 on the year and 9-18 in A-10 action.
The Musketeers held a five-run advantage heading into the bottom of the eighth inning but a double and a pinch-hit three-run home run by Saint Joseph's capped a five-run inning and knotted the score at 5-5.
In the top of the 11th, XU doubled its run total in the game and pushed the score to 10-5. Three straight singles with one out started the Musketeer rally and a tight pitch caught Adam Lipski to force in a run and give Xavier the 6-5 advantage. The blue and white would not settle there as Jordan Wolf laced a shot to left and a bobble by the left fielder allowed two more runs to score. Matt Waskerwitz followed with a base hit to center and notched his fourth hit and third RBI of the day.
Waskerwitz started off the XU offense in the second inning with his first triple of the year, which allowed Dan Hayden and Andy Zellers to score and give XU the early 2-0 lead.
XU would plate two more runs in the fifth and another in the eighth before the SJU rally in the bottom of the eighth tied the game.
Waskerwitz led the Musketeers at the plate on the afternoon. The junior finished 4-for-6 with a triple, a run scored and three RBIs on the day. Sean Brewer added three hits and finished 3-for-6 on the game, while freshmen Steve Brown and Richard Bautista each added two hits. Adam Pasono, Neil Lindgren, Dan Hayden and Wolf each added a hit in the game with Wolf recording two RBIs.
With the 2-for-7 effort today, Brown extended his current hitting streak to 21 games and now stands in sole possession of second all-time in XU history. The La Salle High School product will have to wait until next season to challenge the current school record of 24 games set by Ty Brenning in 2001.
Behind a strong pitching performance by Dan Graham, allowing no runs on four hits in seven innings of work, the Musketeers established the 5-0 through seven and a half innings. St. Joe's, however, erupted for five runs with two outs in the bottom of the eighth off XU reliever Steve Sakosits to tie the contest. Freshman Brett Greenwell earned his team-best fifth win of the year and classmate Charlie Leesman came in to close out the game in the 11th inning.
This weekend concludes the 2006 season for the Xavier Musketeers. XU finishes with a record of 19-37 on the year and ends 9-18 in A-10 competition. The end of the season also marks the end of a career for four Xavier seniors. Sean Brewer, Mark Grissom, Matt Lucas and Steve Sakosits donned the blue and white for the final time this afternoon.
