Xavier University Athletics
Xavier University
Charlotte
Baseball Holds on to Best Charlotte, 5-4
04.12.08 | Baseball
April 11, 2008
Box Score
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Xavier baseball team held on to a one-run lead to defeat the Charlotte 49ers Friday evening at Hayes Stadium. The Musketeers handed the 49ers only their second home loss of the season in 19 contests as XU improves to 13-16 overall and 7-3 in Atlantic 10 play while Charlotte falls to 26-6 for the season and 8-2 in league action.
Junior Steve Brown went 2-for-4 at the plate with batting in two runs and junior Adam Pasono, who was 2-for-3, extended his team-leading hitting streak to 13 games.
The Niners got on the board in the first on a walk and a pair of hits, the last by Brad McElroy, who drove in Aaron Bray from third.
The game remained scoreless until Xavier scored three in the top of the sixth on two hits, three walks and a hit batter. Sophomore Bobby Freking drove in two runs with a double to left center and junior Billy O'Conner drew a bases-loaded walk to complete the scoring and give the Musketeers a 3-1 lead.
Charlotte got a run back in the sixth after McElroy reached on an error with one out. After a strikeout, Musketeer starter junior Charlie Leesman walked a pair to load the bases and relief pitcher senior Mike Creevy balked a run home. That got under the skin of Xavier head coach Scott Googins, who was later ejected in a heated discussion with the umpiring crew. His team responded, getting out of the inning with no further damage.
The Musketeers turned that fire into another run in the top of the seventh, on two hits. Freshman Phil Bauer singled through the left side to start the inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Pasano. Sophomore Drew Schmidt hit a fly ball to right deep enough to advance Bauer to third, and Brown drove him in with a single through the right side for a 4-2 Xavier lead.
With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Charlotte's Shayne Moody tripled and Lyerly launched a 1-0 pitch into the trees beyond the right field fence for his seventh home run of the season to tie the game at four runs each.
Xavier scored the go-ahead run in the ninth with two outs. Pasano tripled to left center, missing a home run by two feet, against the fence. He scored on Brown's second RBI of the day, a bat-shattering single through the right side off of Sam Pierce.
The Niners would rally in the bottom of the ninth, starting the inning with a single and a double, but Charlotte left the bases loaded as junior Jordan Conley picked up his fifth of the year as he got out of the inning with no damage.
Leesman confounded Charlotte hitters for five innings and ran into trouble in that sixth. He gave up five hits and four walks, striking out five for his no-decision. Creevy earned the win in relief. He gave up the homer in the eighth and allowed two other hits and one walk, striking out a pair to move to 5-1.
Charlotte reliever Justin Duncan took the first loss for his first career decision (0-1). He gave up three hits and a walk, striking out one hitter in 2.2 innings.
The two teams will play game two on Saturday at 2 p.m.
