Xavier Baseball Advances to Third BIG EAST Title Game in Four Years with 7-6 Win Over Top-Seeded Creighton

Friday, May 26

Omaha, Neb.

7:30 p.m.

Xavier University

31-25

No. 1 Creighton

24-24

Xavier

Creighton

Xavier Baseball Advances to Third BIG EAST Title Game in Four Years with 7-6 Win Over Top-Seeded Creighton

05.26.17 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Season Stats (PDF)

Musketeers will face winner of Saturday's game between No. 1 Creighton and No. 2 St. John's

By: Brendan Bergen, Xavier Athletic Communications

OMAHA, Neb. - Xavier baseball is heading back to the title game of the BIG EAST Championships for a third time in four years after a 7-6 win over top-seeded Creighton on Friday night at TD Ameritrade Park.

The Musketeers moved to 31-25 overall with a sixth straight win, blowing open a tight game with a five-run fifth inning and then holding on late after Creighton rallied for three in the seventh.

Three underclassmen made a big difference for XU in the game. Freshman Conor Grammes hit a two-run homer in the fifth, sophomore Chris Givin recorded the eventual game-winning hit in the seventh and sophomore Trey Schramm came up huge out the bullpen, holding the Bluejays scoreless over the final 2.2 innings of the game to earn the save.

Overall, the Musketeers offense continues to hum. The team is hitting .368 with 12 homers and 63 runs scored in its last six games.

Xavier also improves to 8-1 in BIG EAST Tournament games all-time after sweeping its way to the title last season and going 3-1 in 2014.

NEXT UP

• The Musketeers await the winner of Saturday's battle between No. 1 Creighton and No. 2 St. John's in the second elimination game of the weekend. Xavier will play the winner on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET in the title game.
• Sunday's game will be televised nationally on FS2 and will also be available through the FOX Sports Go app.

VIDEO

XU AT THE PLATE

• The Musketeers worked 10 walks as a team, its second-most of the season and the most allowed by Creighton in a single game this season.
• Xavier also pounded out 10 hits, recording double-digits for the fifth time in six games. XU now has 28 double-digit hit games on the season.
• Conor Grammes left the yard in the game, giving XU home runs in 11 of its last 12 games.
• Chris Givin went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs and a pair of walks, including a key RBI single in the seventh that turned out to be the winning run. With his first inning single, Givin extended his hitting streak to a team-best 14 straight games.
• Givin is now hitting .556 in the tournament (5-for-9) with five runs scored and two RBI.
• During XU's six game winning streak, Givin is also hitting .556 (10-for-18) with 10 runs scored, five doubles and five RBI.
• Conor Grammes went 2-for-6 with a first inning double and a massive two-run homer in the fifth, his seventh of the season. The freshman has now reached base in 13 straight games and leads the team with a .329 batting average.
• Grammes is now hitting .545 (6-for-11) in the tournament with three runs scored, a homer and four RBI.
• Joe Gellenbeck had a 2-for-4 night, scoring a run and walking.
• Will LaRue (1-for-4, 2B, RBI) and Mitch Gallagher (1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI) both contributed RBI doubles as part of a five-run fifth inning.
• Nate Soria (1-for-4, 2B, R) led off the seventh with a double and scored on a single by Chris Givin, which would prove to be the eventual game-winning run.
• Matt Fallon (1-for-3) also collected a hit and walked in the game.

XU ON THE MOUND

• Garrett Schilling got the start and allowed just two runs on a homer by Michael Emodi before Creighton got a rally started in the seventh. He would eventually be pulled after a 6.1 inning outing.
• Sophomore Trey Schramm gave XU 2.2 innings of shutout relief, earning his second save of the season after entering in the seventh with the tying runner aboard and just one out. Schramm worked around a single in the ninth, stranding the tying run on second as XU clinched the win.

HOW XU SCORED

FIRST INNING: Chris Givin led off the game with a single to right, going to third on a laser double to left by Conor Grammes. Batting next, Rylan Bannon lifted a pitch to right to bring Givin home to make it 1-0 Musketeers.
FIFTH INNING: Chris Givin worked a one out walk and advanced to second on a passed ball before Conor Grammes put a charge into one, homering to left field to give Xavier a 3-2 lead. Back-to-back walks by Rylan Bannon and Joe Gellenbeck extended the inning for Will LaRue, who sent a frozen rope over the right fielder's head for an RBI double. With runners on second and third, Mitch Gallagher chopped a ball over the Creighton third baseman's head to bring two more home and make it 6-2.
SEVENTH INNING: Nate Soria led off with a double over the right fielder's head, moving to third on a sacrifice bunt by Matt Fallon. With two outs, Chris Givin came up with a huge single through the left side to give XU a 7-3 lead.

PHOTOS

2017 BIG EAST Championships: Game Two by Xavier Musketeers on Exposure