Baseball Picks Up Seventh Straight Win, Beats Seton Hall 10-6

Saturday, May 7

South Orange, N.J.

12 P.M.

Xavier University

21-26, 8-3

Seton Hall

31-16, 5-6

Xavier

Seton Hall

Baseball Picks Up Seventh Straight Win, Beats Seton Hall 10-6

05.07.16 | Baseball

Box Score

Victory clinches third straight weekend series win as XU goes to 8-3 in BIG EAST action

By: Brendan Bergen, Xavier Athletics Communication

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Back-to-back four-run frames and stellar relief work by Brad Kirschner helped Xavier baseball win its seventh straight game on Saturday, taking game two of a weekend series at Seton Hall by a score of 10-6.

XU improves to 21-26 overall and 8-3 BIG EAST, clinching a third straight weekend series. The victory gives the Musketeers a seven-game winning streak, which ties the team's longest stretch since April 10-19, 2013.

Seton Hall fell to 31-16 overall and 5-6 in league play.

XU AT THE PLATE

· Four Musketeers put up multi-hit performances as XU tallied 12 hits total – its most in BIG EAST play thus far this season.
· With 10 runs, XU scored in double digits for the sixth time this season. It was the second time XU plated at least 10 in league play.
· Nate Soria (3-for-4, 2 R) and Chris Givin (3-for-4, 2 R, RBI) led the way for the offense with three-hit days, combining to score four runs.
· Soria is now batting .400 (16-for-40) in BIG EAST play, while Givin is hitting .342 (13-for-38) in league action.
· Rylan Bannon (2-for-4, R, RBI) and Andre Jernigan (2-for-4, R) also contributed multi-hit games.
· Dan Rizzie (1-for-5, R, RBI) and Will LaRue (1-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI) each recorded hits as well.
· Jernigan was hit with a pitch in the fifth, giving him 33 HBP's in his Musketeer career and moving him into a tie for third all-time in the XU record book.

XU ON THE MOUND

· The Pirates got to XU starter Matt Kent, who lasted just 1.1 innings and allowed four runs in his shortest start of the season. Kent came into the outing having allowed just three earned runs in nine previous appearances.
· Damien Richard came on in relief in the second and lasted an inning, surrendering one run and walking two. Richard now has a 2.42 ERA in 26 innings (7 ER) as a reliever this season.
· Brad Kirschner then came on to control the Pirate offense for the final 6.2 innings, striking out six and earning the win in relief. It was the longest outing of the year for the sophomore lefty.

HOW XU SCORED

FIRST INNING: Rylan Bannon led off the game with a double to left, advancing on an error by the SHU third baseman. With runners on the corners, Joe Gellenbeck grounded out to thrid to score Bannon. After advancing to third on a grounder by Andre Jernigan, Dan Rizzie scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0.
FOURTH INNING: Trailing 5-2, Andre Jernigan kickstarted a Xavier rally in the fourth with a leadoff single to center. Nate Soria followed with a base hit through the left side. With two on, Chris Givin doubled to left to plate Jernigan. Will LaRue followed with a single into right field to score two more and make it a tie game, 5-5. LaRue would eventually come around to give Xavier the lead, scoring on a single by Dan Rizzie.
FIFTH INNING: A one out single by Nate Soria started another rally, as the sophomore advanced to second after Chris Givin was plunked. A Will LaRue walk loaded the bases for David Morton, who worked the count full before walking to make it 7-5. Givin then came around to score on a wild pitch before Matt Fallon lifted a sacrifice fly to left. Rylan Bannon capped the scoring with a RBI single to left, making it 10-5.

UP NEXT

· Xavier looks to complete the weekend sweep with game three getting underway immediately at Owen T. Carroll Field.