Xavier University Athletics
Xavier University
Miami (Oh)
Xavier Keeps Home Streak Alive with Win over Miami
04.17.07 | Baseball
April 17, 2007
CINCINNATI - A solid pitching effort matched by clutch hitting allowed Xavier to keep its home winning streak alive this afternoon at Hayden Field. The Musketeers, now 10-0 at home this season, downed rival Miami, 4-3, in non-conference action. Despite being outhit by the RedHawks, 13-9, a homerun by Robbie Kelley proved to be the difference in the ballgame. Xavier improves to 16-20 on the season, while the RedHawks fall to 18-13 overall.
The Blue and White struck first, plating one in the bottom of the fourth as Neil Lindgren drew his team-leading 22nd walk of the season to start the inning. After a wild pitch moved Lindgren to second, Drew Schmidt put together a great at-bat and grounded out to move Lindgren to third. Senior Matt Waskerwitz capitalized on the one-out situation and bombed a sacrifice fly to center to give XU the early 1-0 advantage.
In the Xavier fifth, XU posted two more on the board as Kelley came up with his first clutch hit of the game, a sacrifice squeeze bunt to score Sean Farrell who lead off the inning with a walk. Farrell reached third after an errant throw by the RedHawk third baseman after Adam Lipski drilled a shot down the line that he could not handle. The final run of the inning came as Schmidt singled to center to plate Lipski and the Musketeers extended the lead to 3-0.
Kelley rounded out his stellar day in the bottom of the seventh as the junior laced a line drive down the left field line that cleared the fence in a hurry to give Xavier what would turn out to be the winning run.
Miami put up three runs in the top of the eighth on three doubles to cut the lead to 4-3 before threatening in the top of the ninth with bases loaded and two outs. Senior David Hartman closed the door on the RedHawks an induced the game-ending groundout to pick up his second save of the season.
Kelley led the way at the dish as the junior finished 2-for-4 at the plate on the afternoon. Sophomore Steve Brown and Waskerwitz also added two hits apiece in the win. Schmidt and Waskerwitz picked up the other two RBIs as well.
Freshman Zac Richard got his team-leading fourth win of the season after going 4.0 innings of shutout baseball and allowing only four hits and striking out three. Mark Janszen provided 3.0 innings of relief and allowed only one run on four hits, while fanning four hitters. Hartman wrapped up the afternoon with 1.1 innings of two-hit ball and picked up the save.
The Musketeers will return to action tomorrow afternoon as the Blue and White travel south to Eastern Kentucky for a non-conference game. Xavier will likely start Dan Graham on the mound while EKU's starter is still to be determined.
