Baseball Falls to Crosstown Rival Cincinnati in Midweek Showdown

Wednesday, April 18

Cincinnati, Ohio

6:30 p.m.

Xavier University

12-24

Cincinnati

18-17

Xavier

Cincinnati

Baseball Falls to Crosstown Rival Cincinnati in Midweek Showdown

04.19.18 | Baseball

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

By: Brendan Bergen, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier baseball brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but fell in a midweek road game 10-7 on Wednesday against crosstown rival Cincinnati at Marge Schott Stadium.

Xavier fell to 12-24 on the season with the loss, while UC improved to 18-17.

The game was the first meeting between former Xavier coach Scott Googins and his former assistant, Billy O'Conner, who is in his first year as the Musketeers' skipper.

Weather caused a significant delay in the game following the third inning, but conditions improved afterward and the teams were able to complete the game.

UP NEXT

• Xavier returns to home this weekend, kicking off a BIG EAST series against Creighton on Friday, April 20 at Hayden Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.

XU AT THE PLATE

• Conor Grammes went 3-for-5 with a pair of runs, collecting his team-leading 15th multi-hit game of the season.
• Allbry Major had his third straight two-hit game, going 2-for-5.
• Chris Givin went 1-for-5 with a pair of RBI, pushing his team-best hitting streak to 10 straight games. During the streak, he's hitting .313 (15-for-48) with nine runs scored and 10 RBI.
• Natale Monastra (1-for-3), Ryan Altenberger (1-for-5, 3 R, RBI) and Ryan Fournier (1-for-2, R, RBI) also supplied hits for XU.
• Major extended his team-best reached base streak to 15 straight games.
• Xavier saw a streak of five straight games with a home run snapped.

XU ON THE MOUND

• Lefty Sam Czabala made his second straight midweek start for the Musketeers, going 1.2 innings and allowing three earned runs on five hits.
• Freshman Evan Miller came on in relief, lasting 2.1 innings and allowing just one earned run while striking out a pair.
• Conor Grammes pitched the fifth inning, striking out the side, before running into trouble in the sixth.
• Freshman lefty Nick Zwack entered next and covered two innings of one-run relief, strAllbry Majorree and working around four hits.
• Freshman right-hander Allbry Major closed the game out, throwing one innings and striking out one while allowing an unearned run.

HOW XU SCORED

SECOND INNING | Conor Grammes led off with a single up the middle, advancing on a walk by Nate Soria. With first and third after a fielder's choice, Ryan Fournier worked a walk to load the bases. Chris Givin batted next and singled to left to bring Grammes home and make it 3-1. Joe Gellenbeck followed with a sacrifice fly to right, getting XU within a run.
FOURTH INNING | Ryan Altenberger reached on an error, coming around to score on a double to right field by Ryan Fournier.
EIGHTH INNING | Conor Grammes singled to third to kick things off, advancing on a fielding error that allowed Nate Soria to reach first base. Ryan Altenberger then doubled to right field, scoring Grammes and making it 9-5. After a pitching change, Chris Givin reached on a fielder's choice to score Soria. Joe Gellenbeck batted next and flied out to center field, bringing Altenberger home to make it a two-run game.