Baseball Drops 2016 Opener at Arizona State, 5-2

Friday, February 19

Tempe, Ariz.

8:30 P.M.

Xavier University

0-1

Arizona State

1-0

Xavier

Arizona State

Baseball Drops 2016 Opener at Arizona State, 5-2

02.20.16 | Baseball

Box Score

Musketeers rally for runs in sixth, ninth but can't overcome ASU's three-run first

By: Brendan Bergen, Xavier Athletics Communication

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Xavier baseball struck for runs in the sixth and ninth innings, but couldn't overcome four early scores by Arizona State in its 2016 season opener at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Friday.

The Sun Devils struck for three runs in the first and added another in the second before relying on some power pitching to finish out the victory. ASU pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts in the game, limiting Xavier offensively in a game that was evenly-matched after the first inning.

Looking to jump ahead early, the Musketeers stranded a pair in the first and watched as ASU came right back with a three spot.

ASU starter Hever Bueno found a groove after a rocky first, sending XU down in order in the second and third. The junior would exit after 5.1 innings, allowing just two hits and striking out six to earn the win.

XU AT THE PLATE

• Xavier scraped together five hits total in the game, going just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
• Senior catcher Dan Rizzie paced the offense, going 2-for-4 with singles in the first and the eighth.
• Nate Soria (1-for-5) and Ethan Schmidt (1-for-4) each scored runs for the Musketeers.
• Despite going hitless in the nine spot in the order, Will LaRue (0-for-1) put together a solid night at the plate with a pair of walks and a sacrifice fly. The sophomore also stole his first base of the season against First Team All-Pac 12 catcher Brian Serven.

XU ON THE MOUND

• Sophomore southpaw Zac Lowther got the start and went five innings, surrendering four-earned runs and striking out five. Three of those runs came with just one out in the first, but Lowther was able to settle in after a rough start to post 4.2 innings of one-run ball.
• Sophomore righty Damien Richard came on to start the sixth and turned in three frames of one-run relief to close out the game. Richard struck out three and scattered four hits in the longest outing of his career.

HOW THE MUSKETEERS SCORED

SIXTH INNING: Sophomore Nate Soria led off the sixth with a double, one-hopping the wall in left center for his first hit of the season. After advancing to third on a balk, Soria came around to score on a one-out, looping single to shallow right by Andre Jernigan.
NINTH INNING: Trailing by four to start the frame, Ethan Schmidt led things off with a double to right. Back-to-back strikeouts followed – with Schmidt advancing to third on a passed ball – before Will LaRue was able to lift a fly ball into right for a sacrifice fly.

NEXT UP

• The Musketeers (0-1) and Sun Devils (1-0) will be back on the diamond on Saturday, getting a doubleheader going at 3 p.m. ET.
• Brandon Johnson and Greg Jacknewitz are slated to start games two and three of the series tomorrow.