Richard Posts Strong Start, XU Gets Pair of Homers in 7-3 Win Over St. John's

Friday, April 27

Hayden Field

3 p.m.

Xavier University

St. John's

Richard Posts Strong Start, XU Gets Pair of Homers in 7-3 Win Over St. John's

04.27.18 | Baseball

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Musketeers have now won three of four and are 4-6 in league play

By: Brendan Bergen, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Damien Richard tied a career-high with eight strikeouts as Matt Warkentin and Ryan Altenberger homered in a 7-3 win for Xavier baseball over visiting St. John's on Friday at Hayden Field.

Xavier improved to 15-27 (4-6 BIG EAST) with the win, getting a second straight conference win after toppling Creighton last Sunday. The Musketeers have won three of their last four overall.

St. John's drops to 26-11 (9-1 BIG EAST) with the loss. The Red Storm came into the game undefeated in BIG EAST play and with the third-longest winning streak in the nation.

SJU's starting pitcher Sean Mooney lost for just the fourth time in his college career (16-4) with two of those coming against XU.

UP NEXT

• Xavier returns to Hayden Field on Saturday, facing St. John's in game two of the weekend at 1 p.m. ET.

XU AT THE PLATE

• Xavier got a pair of homers in the game and now has at least one homer in 10 of its last 12 outings.
• Freshman outfielder Allbry Major had a big game, going 3-for-4 with a run scored.
• Senior Nate Soria was 1-for-2 with a pair of runs scored as well as two walks and a stolen base.
• Sophomore Conor Grammes was 1-for-4 with an RBI single in the third inning. He now has a team-leading eight game hitting streak.
• Sophomore Natale Monastra was 1-for-4 with a big two-run double in the eighth, helping XU answer after St. John's scored two in the top half of the inning.
• Junior Matt Warkentin was 1-for-3 with his team-leading 10th homer, a two-run shot, coming in the fifth inning.
• Freshman Ryan Altenberger (1-for-4) hit his third homer of the season, a solo shot, in the seventh inning.

XU ON THE MOUND

• Senior Damien Richard (2-4) got the start and lasted 6.1 solid innings, scattering five hits and striking out eight while allowing just one earned run. He exited in the seventh inning with two on and one out.
• Matt Kent came on from the bullpen to get the final two outs in the seventh, stranding a pair on a big strikeout. Aside from a two-run homer in the eighth, Kent was outstanding over the final 2.2 innings. The junior earned his third save of the season, striking out one in the outing.

HOW XU SCORED

THIRD INNING | Matt Warkentin led off with a walk, but was erased on a fielder's choice play. After a Chris Givin ground out moved Ryan Fournier to second, Conor Grammes laced a two out single to left to score XU's first run and tie the game 1-1.
FIFTH INNING | Nate Soria led off with a walk and Matt Warkentin followed with a two-run homer over the left field wall to give XU a 3-1 lead.
SEVENTH INNING | Ryan Altenberger led off the inning with a solo homer to left field, giving XU a 4-1 lead. Nate Soria followed with a single, going to second on a wild pitch and stealing third. With one out, Ryan Fournier grounded to third to bring Soria home with another insurance run.
EIGHTH INNING | Joe Gellenbeck started a rally, reaching on an error by the SJU first baseman and going around to third on a double to right by Allbry Major. Natale Monastra followed with a double down the right line, scoring both runs to make it 7-3.