Xavier University Athletics
Xavier University
Rhode Island
Xavier Suffers Opening Round Loss to Rhode Island, 4-3
05.23.07 | Baseball
May 23, 2007
DAYTON, Ohio - A four-run first inning left too much of a deficit for Xavier to overcome as the Musketeers fell, 4-3, in the opening game of the 2007 Atlantic 10 Championship at Fifth Third Field on Wednesday afternoon in Dayton. The XU pitching staff held the Rams' offense scoreless over the final eight innings of the game but left 10 men on base. The loss drops Xavier to 27-30 on the season, while Rhode Island improves to 23-28 overall.
Rhode Island opened the game and took advantage of some nerves on the part of the Musketeers. URI plated four runs on six hits in the opening inning and jumped out to the early 4-0 lead. Dave Savard led off the game with a single before moving to second on a single by Scott Brown. After Xavier starter Bill Konecny recorded his first strikeout of the game, Gregg Allen delivered the first blow with a bouncing single over third baseman Drew Schmidt to score the first run of the game.
With runners at first and second with one out, Konecny induced the groundout to pick up the second out of the inning and looked poised to get out of the inning with only allowing one run. Rhode Island followed with three straight hits to score three more runs and it took a great relay from left fielder Andy Zellers to shortstop Matt Waskerwitz to catcher Jordan Wolf to nail Mike O'Malley trying to score from first.
Konecny would settle down after the first inning and allow just two hits over his final 5.0 innings of work before Mark Janszen came in to relieve him in the seventh. The senior finished the day with six strikeouts and allowed four earned, all in the first inning, on eight hits and issued two walks.
Konecny would get a little help in the bottom of the third as the Musketeers plated two runs on three hits and left the bases loaded to end the inning. Adam Pasono started the inning with a single to left and was followed by classmate Neil Lindgren who sent a single into right to put runners at the corners with one out. Wolf would drive in XU's first run of the championship after a base hit to right scored Pasono. After a walk was issued to designated hitter Sean Farrell, Adam Lipski stepped to the plate and notched his fourth sacrifice fly of the season to plate Lindgren and put the score at 4-2. Robbie Kelley would follow and get hit by a pitch for the 16th time this season, a new XU single-season record, to load the bases before a fly out got the Rams out of the inning.
Xavier would tack on another run in the bottom of the seventh after Farrell drilled a one-out single to right, driving in Lindgren. Farrell would be thrown out trying to advance to second on the throw home but closed the score to 4-3 in favor of Rhode Island.
The XU pitching staff would hold the Rhode Island bats silent over the final eight innings and gave the Musketeers a chance entering the final inning. The Blue and White would threaten with runners on first and second with two outs before URI reliever Tim Boyce came in to throw one pitch and pick up his sixth s
Pasono would lead the Musketeers at the plate, tying a career high with three hits on the afternoon. He finished 3-for-5 at the plate with a run scored. Lindgren, Wolf and Farrell each had two hits on the day, while Wolf Farrell and Lipski had the three RBIs for XU in the game.
This was Xavier's first trip to the A-10 Championship since 2003 and marked the first time playing Rhode Island in the championship. XU is now 5-9 when playing in the A-10 Championship and have now lost its last six straight games against the Rams, dating back to last season. This is only the third time in five trips to the championship that the Musketeers have lost their opening game, with each of those teams winning the second game of the tournament after the loss.
The Musketeers will get back to action this evening with the first pitch scheduled for approximately 7:00 pm at Fifth Third Field. Xavier will take on the loser of the No. 3 Richmond versus No. 6 St. Bonaventure game, which started at 3:30 pm this afternoon.
