Saturday, May 14
Hayden Field
2 P.M.
Xavier University
23-27, 0
6
vs
5
Creighton
33-12, 0
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9
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H
E
Creighton
0
3
2
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5
11
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Xavier University
0
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4
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6
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Gellenbeck's Single Gives Baseball Walk-Off Win Over Creighton, 6-5
05.14.16 | Baseball
XU came all the way back from a 5-0 deficit to even its weekend series with the Bluejays
CINCINNATI – Down five after three innings, Xavier baseball battled all the way back and got a walk-off single from Joe Gellenbeck in the ninth to take a 6-5 win over visiting Creighton on Saturday at Hayden Field.
XU moves to 23-27 overall and 10-4 in the BIG EAST, evening the series against the only team in front of them in the BIG EAST standings. Creighton dropped to 33-12 overall and 11-3 in league play.
The win sets up a big rubber match on Sunday, which could see Xavier move into a first-place tie with a win. The game also represents an opportunity for XU to become the first BIG EAST team to take a series from the Bluejays since they entered the league.
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· Xavier tallied six hits and tied a season-high by drawing eight walks on the day.
· Junior Joe Gellenbeck notched his first career walk-off hit, singling in the ninth and paced Xavier with a 2-for-4 day and two RBI.
· Freshman Roger Danison (2-for-3, 2 R) also came up big off the bench, kickstarting rallies with hits in the seventh and ninth.
· Rylan Bannon (1-for-2, R, 2B, 2 BB) and Will LaRue (1-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI) also added hits for the Musketeers.
· Dan Rizzie tied a career-high with three walks and scored a run.
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· Matt Kent got the start and lasted four innings, surrendering three earned runs and striking out one in a no decision.
· Brad Kirschner picked up after Kent for the second straight weekend and was brilliant again, striking out two in 4.1 innings of scoreless relief. The junior lefty has now allowed just one earned run over 11 innings of relief work the past two Saturdays.
· Garrett Schilling (2-3) secured the win, getting out of a two-on, one out jam with help from a outfield assist by Will LaRue.
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FOURTH INNING:Â Rylan Bannon worked a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Dan Rizzie then drew a walk to put the first two on, setting up an RBI single by Joe Gellenbeck to make it 5-1 and chasing CU starter Jeff Albrecht. After an Andre Jernigan walk loaded the bases, two straight outs put the rally in question before a long double to right by Will LaRue cleared the bases to make it 5-4.
SEVENTH INNING:Â Roger Danison led off the inning with a double to to left, moving over to third on a sacrifice bunt by Matt Fallon. After a one out walk by Dan Rizzie put runners at the corners, Danison took off for home on a wild pitch and scored the tying run just in front of the tag.
NINTH INNING:Â It was Roger Danison starting the rally again in the ninth, singling to right center to get things going. After Matt Fallon moved him over with a sacrifice bunt, Rylan Bannon was hit by a pitch and Dan Rizzie drew a walk to load the bases with one out. That set up Joe Gellenbeck to play hero, singling through the left side to score Danison and win it for Xavier.
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· Xavier looks to lock up the series win on Sunday, hosting Creighton in the last game of the weekend at Hayden Field. First pitch is set for Noon.
XU moves to 23-27 overall and 10-4 in the BIG EAST, evening the series against the only team in front of them in the BIG EAST standings. Creighton dropped to 33-12 overall and 11-3 in league play.
The win sets up a big rubber match on Sunday, which could see Xavier move into a first-place tie with a win. The game also represents an opportunity for XU to become the first BIG EAST team to take a series from the Bluejays since they entered the league.
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 XU AT THE PLATE |
· Xavier tallied six hits and tied a season-high by drawing eight walks on the day.
· Junior Joe Gellenbeck notched his first career walk-off hit, singling in the ninth and paced Xavier with a 2-for-4 day and two RBI.
· Freshman Roger Danison (2-for-3, 2 R) also came up big off the bench, kickstarting rallies with hits in the seventh and ninth.
· Rylan Bannon (1-for-2, R, 2B, 2 BB) and Will LaRue (1-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI) also added hits for the Musketeers.
· Dan Rizzie tied a career-high with three walks and scored a run.
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 XU ON THE MOUND |
· Matt Kent got the start and lasted four innings, surrendering three earned runs and striking out one in a no decision.
· Brad Kirschner picked up after Kent for the second straight weekend and was brilliant again, striking out two in 4.1 innings of scoreless relief. The junior lefty has now allowed just one earned run over 11 innings of relief work the past two Saturdays.
· Garrett Schilling (2-3) secured the win, getting out of a two-on, one out jam with help from a outfield assist by Will LaRue.
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 HOW XU SCORED |
FOURTH INNING:Â Rylan Bannon worked a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Dan Rizzie then drew a walk to put the first two on, setting up an RBI single by Joe Gellenbeck to make it 5-1 and chasing CU starter Jeff Albrecht. After an Andre Jernigan walk loaded the bases, two straight outs put the rally in question before a long double to right by Will LaRue cleared the bases to make it 5-4.
SEVENTH INNING:Â Roger Danison led off the inning with a double to to left, moving over to third on a sacrifice bunt by Matt Fallon. After a one out walk by Dan Rizzie put runners at the corners, Danison took off for home on a wild pitch and scored the tying run just in front of the tag.
NINTH INNING:Â It was Roger Danison starting the rally again in the ninth, singling to right center to get things going. After Matt Fallon moved him over with a sacrifice bunt, Rylan Bannon was hit by a pitch and Dan Rizzie drew a walk to load the bases with one out. That set up Joe Gellenbeck to play hero, singling through the left side to score Danison and win it for Xavier.
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 UP NEXT |
· Xavier looks to lock up the series win on Sunday, hosting Creighton in the last game of the weekend at Hayden Field. First pitch is set for Noon.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Schilling, Garrett (2-3)
L: Ethan DeCaster (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Matt Gandy 1
3B: Ryan Fitzgerald 1
HR: Kevin Connolly 1
RBI: Ryan Fitzgerald 1 ; Reagan Fowler 1 ; Brett Murray 1 ; Kevin Connolly 2
SH: Nicky Lopez 2
SF: Reagan Fowler 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Daniel Woodrow 1 ; Ryan Fitzgerald 1 ; Reagan Fowler 1 ; Brett Murray 1 ; Kevin Connolly 1
CS: Nicky Lopez 1
Batting:
2B: Bannon, Rylan 1 ; LaRue, Will 1 ; Danison, Roger 1
RBI: Gellenbeck, Joe 2 ; LaRue, Will 3
SH: Soria, Nate 1 ; Fallon, Matt 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Bannon, Rylan 1 ; Rizzie, Daniel 1 ; Gellenbeck, Joe 1 ; Jernigan, Andre 1 ; Danison, Roger 2
CS: Bannon, Rylan 1
HBP: Bannon, Rylan 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
ph/dh
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
IF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
RHP
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