Baseball Drops Series Opener at Penn State on Late Homer

Thursday, May 10

University Park, PA

6:30 p.m.

Xavier University

16-33

Penn State

12-30

Xavier

Penn State

Baseball Drops Series Opener at Penn State on Late Homer

05.10.18 | Baseball

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

By: Brendan Bergen, Xavier Athletic Communications

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Xavier baseball fell on a late homer, as Penn State rallied for a 6-5 win at home to open a weekend series on Thursday at Medlar Field.

The Nittany Lions battled back from a 5-2 deficit to tie the game in the sixth and got the go-ahead run on a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth.

With the loss, Xavier fell to 16-33. Penn State improved to 12-30.

UP NEXT

• Xavier finishes off the series on Friday, playing a doubleheader against the Nittany Lions beginning at 2 p.m. ET.

XU AT THE PLATE

• Xavier collected seven hits and five runs, leaving six on base in the game.
• Matt Warkentin (2-for-3, BB) and Sam Flamini (2-for-4, R) led the Musketeers with a pair of hits.
• Mitch Gallagher (1-for-3, R), Nate Soria (1-for-4, R, RBI, 3B) and Joe Gellenbeck (1-for-4, RBI, 2B) also had hits for Xavier.

XU ON THE MOUND

• Senior Damien Richard fired five innings, allowing four earned runs and striking out five.
• Junior Matt Kent tossed the final three frames, striking out four and allowing two earned runs.

HOW XU SCORED

SECOND INNING | Natale Monastra led off with a walk and came around to score on a triple to left center by Nate Soria. Blaine Griffiths then lined a ball to left, giving Soria a chance to tag and score and give XU a 2-0 lead.
FIFTH INNING | With one out, Mitch Gallagher worked a walk and went to second on a single to center field by Sam Flamini. After both runners moved up on a double steal, Mitch Gallagher scored on a wild pitch to give XU a 3-2 lead. Chris Givin followed with a sacrifice fly to center field, giving XU a two-run lead. Joe Gellenbeck, batting with two outs, gave XU another run with a double to right field to score Allbry Major.