Xavier University Athletics
Xavier University
8-18
Northern Kentucky
8-14
Baseball Drops Game Two of Series to NKU
03.28.15 | Baseball
Box Score
| Box Score 
CINCINNATI - Adam Hall pitched five innings of one-run ball in a solid start for Xavier, but the bullpen couldn't hold an early lead as NKU used two big innings to walk away with a 10-5 win on Saturday at Hayden Field.
XU (8-18) led 3-1 until the top of the sixth when the Norse plated five against two different Musketeer pitchers. NKU (8-14) scored another four in the ninth to make it 10-3 before Xavier fell short in a ninth inning rally.
Hall took a no-decision after striking out six in five innings of work, allowing just one unearned run. The righty walked five, but scattered just three hits and lowered his season ERA to 3.66.
Zach Johnson took the loss in relief, dropping to 1-2 after getting saddled with five runs amidst NKU's big sixth inning. Zac Lowther came on to help get out of the jam, exiting in the ninth after pitching 2.2 innings with four strikeouts.
Offensively, Brian Bruening led XU with a 2-for-4 afternoon to go with an RBI and run scored. Andre Jernigan also put up a 2-for-4 line with a run, while Nate Soria and Derek Hasenbeck both knocked in a run apiece.
Hall struck out the side in the first inning, working around a walk and the XU offense picked him up quick.
Forney crushed a one out double to left center before Bruening drove him in, dropping a single down the right field line. Bruening stole second on the ensuing pitch, but was stranded on second.
NKU tied things up in the second, but Xavier would score two more in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead.
Bruening led the frame off with a single to right. Jernigan followed with a short-hopper over the third base bag. With the first two aboard, Ethan Schmidt lofted a sacrifice fly to right field, moving Bruening to third and allowing Jernigan to move up after the throw skipped the cutoff man.
A wild pitch by NKU starter Jake Shaw allowed Bruening to cross the plate and Hasenbeck singled to center to score Jernigan, giving XU a two-run advantage.
The lead would hold until Hall was lifted in the top of the sixth, as NKU exploded for five in the sixth and four in the ninth.
Xavier plated a pair in the ninth, as Hasenbeck scored on a balk before Soria smacked an RBI single down the right field line to score Blaine Griffiths. The Musketeers stranded one in the final inning.
The series wraps up Sunday, moving to Northern Kentucky for the final game. First pitch is set for 12:00 p.m. at the Bill Aker Baseball Complex.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: COOPER, Cody (2-3)
L: Johnson, Zach (1-2)
Batting:
2B: COLLETTA, Kyle 1 ; HEAD, David 1
RBI: COLLETTA, Kyle 4 ; KUZNICZCI, Cody 1 ; GANNS, Trey 1 ; HEAD, David 1 ; LEFEVERS, Ryan 1 ; MERCURIO, Dominic 2
Base Running:
RUNS: BAUML, Cole 1 ; COLLETTA, Kyle 1 ; KUZNICZCI, Cody 1 ; HEAD, David 1 ; HEADY, Quint 1 ; VAGNIER, Anthony 1 ; BOHLEN, Brad 1 ; LEFEVERS, Ryan 1 ; MERCURIO, Dominic 2
CS: COLLETTA, Kyle 1 ; BOHLEN, Brad 1
HBP: KUZNICZCI, Cody 1 ; VAGNIER, Anthony 1
Batting:
2B: Forney, Joe 1 ; Griffiths, Blaine 1
RBI: Soria, Nate 1 ; Bruening, Brian 1 ; Hasenbeck, Derek 1
SF: Schmidt, Ethan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Forney, Joe 1 ; Bruening, Brian 1 ; Jernigan, Andre 1 ; Hasenbeck, Derek 1 ; Griffiths, Blaine 1
SB: Soria, Nate 1 ; Bruening, Brian 1
