Baseball Battles Back, Falls in Game Two at Mercer

Saturday, February 27

Macon, Ga.

2 P.M.

Xavier University

0-6

Mercer

5-1

Xavier

Mercer

Baseball Battles Back, Falls in Game Two at Mercer

02.27.16 | Baseball

Box Score

Musketeers can't overcome early 4-0 hole in sixth straight loss

By: Brendan Bergen, Xavier Athletics Communication

MACON, Ga. – Xavier was unable to battle back from an early 4-0 deficit at Mercer on Saturday, falling victim to the early longball in a 5-3 loss at Claude Smith Field.

The Musketeers (0-6) saw Mercer hit three home runs in the first three innings, building an early 4-0 lead and chasing starter Greg Jacknewitz. The Bears got a solo shot in the first and then a pair in the third, including a two-run bomb from 2015 Second Team All-American Kyle Lewis – his second of the series.

Xavier scratched its way back into the game, however, getting a run back in the fourth on Sam Flamini's first career hit.

The Musketeers would add another two in the eighth, but Mercer answered with a run in the bottom half and was able to close the door to clinch the series win.

XU AT THE PLATE

• Xavier collected 11 hits and worked five walks, but stranded 14 runners. The three runs were the most for XU in its first six games, while the 11 hits were the team's second-most of the season.
• XU stole seven bases in the game, its most since swiping seven on March 31, 2015 at Dayton.
• Four Musketeers put up multi-hit games, including Matt Fallon (2-for-4, RBI), Andre Jernigan (2-for-5), Nate Soria (2-for-5, RBI) and Sam Flamini (2-for-5, RBI).
• Will LaRue (1-for-4, 2 SB), Joe Gellenbeck (1-for-5, R) and Blaine Griffiths (1-for-4) also recorded hits for Xavier.
• XU loaded the bases twice – in the fourth and eighth innings – and put runners aboard in eight of nine innings.
• Flamini collected his first career hit and RBI in the fourth inning, singling in Joe Gellenbeck for XU's first run.

XU ON THE MOUND

• Starter Greg Jacknewitz lasted 3.2 innings, allowing four earned runs and seven hits.
• Damien Richard was effective out of the bullpen, following Jacknewitz with three innings of two-hit, scoreless relief.
• Freshman Taylor Williams finished out the game, tossing 1.1 innings and striking out two while allowing an unearned run. Williams now has eight strikeouts in 3.2 innings pitched this season.

HOW THE MUSKETEERS SCORED

FOURTH INNING: Sam Flamini singled to left field to score Joe Gellenbeck, making it a 4-1 game.
EIGHTH INNING: Nate Soria singled up the middle to bring Andre Jernigan around to score.
EIGHTH INNING: Following Soria, Sam Flamini singled and Rylan Bannon worked a walk to load the bases with one out. Matt Fallon then singled to center to make it 4-3.

NEXT UP

• The Musketeers wrap up their weekend series at Mercer on Sunday with first pitch set for 1 p.m. ET. Junior lefty Trent Astle will get the start for XU.