Xavier University Athletics
Tuesday, May 15
Hayden Field
1 p.m.
Xavier University
18-34
14
vs
3
Northern Kentucky
14-35
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Northern Kentucky
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Xavier
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Baseball Uses Big First to Win Final Midweek Game Over NKU, 14-3
05.15.18 | Baseball
CINCINNATI - Xaver baseball used a huge first inning, getting three homers and eight runs right off the bat to cruise to a 14-3 win over visiting Northern Kentucky on Tuesday at Hayden Field.
Xavier improved to 18-34, while Northern Kentucky fell to 14-36 overall. Xavier also swept the season series with a second 2018 win against NKU.Â
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• Xavier begins its final series of the 2018 season on Thursday against Villanova, beginning at 3 p.m. at Hayden Field.
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• XU put up 18 hits and struck out just twice in the game, working six walks and hitting four homers.
• Xavier now has a homer in 16 of its last 22 games and the Musketeers are up to 58 homers as a team this season, which is seventh all-time in program history for a single season.
• Chris Givin led XU with a 4-for-6 day at the plate, knocking in a run and raising his batting average to a team-best .333 for the season.
• Nate Soria was 3-for-6 with two runs scored and an RBI coming on his eighth inning solo homer. The senior's longball was his sixth of the season.
• Conor Grammes hit a two-run homer in the first inning, his ninth of the season, as part of a 1-for-4 day with a walk.
• Blaine Griffiths had a big day, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI. The senior outfielder hit his third homer of the season in the first inning, coming on an inside-the-park blast to center field.
• Ryan Altenberger broke out of a slump with a 3-for-5 day, scoring twice and knocking in four runs.
• Andrew Sexton was 1-for-5 with a three-run homer in the first inning, the first of his college career.
• Mitch Gallagher (1-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB), Joe Gellenbeck (1-for-6, R, RBI) and Matt Warkentin (1-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB) also collected hits for XU.
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• Freshman Griffin Lanoue was stellar, going a career-high seven innings and allowing three earned runs -- two of which came on a two-run homer in the seventh inning. The righty struck out five and scattered seven hits, picking up his first career win.
• Junior Matt Kent came on to pitch the eighth, striking out two in a perfect inning of relief.
• Junior Chris Givin finished off the game with a 1-2-3 final frame, getting a pair of grounders and a fly out to clinch the win.
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FIRST INNING | Nate Soria singled with one out, coming around to score on a high-arcing homer to left by Conor Grammes to get XU on the board. Matt Warkentin batted next and was hit by a pitch, going to second a wild pitch and scoring on a double to deep center by Joe Gellenbeck. With three runs in, Blaine Griffiths cracked a low liner to center field that got past the defender and went all the way to the wall. The result was an inside-the-park homer, the third homer of the season for Griffiths. Mitch Gallagher followed with a walk and went to second on a wild pitch. A Ryan Altenberger single put two on for Andrew Sexton, who sent one over the fence in left center for his first career homer. The final tally for the inning was eight runs on seven hits, including three homers.
SIXTH INNING | Matt Warkentin reached on a throwing error to begin the inning, going to second when Blaine Griffiths drew a walk. With two outs, Ryan Altenberger singled to right field to bring both Griffths and Warkentin home and giving XU a 10-1 lead.
EIGHTH INNING | Blaine Griffiths led off with a single to center, going to second on a base hit to right by Mitch Gallagher. Ryan Altenberger then singled to left, bringing across two runs when the NKU left fielder made an error playing the ball off the hop. Altenberger advanced to second on the error and third on a ground out, finally scoring on an RBI ground out by Chris Givin. One batter later, Nate Soria launched a solo homer to left field to make it 14-3.
Xavier improved to 18-34, while Northern Kentucky fell to 14-36 overall. Xavier also swept the season series with a second 2018 win against NKU.Â
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 UP NEXT |
• Xavier begins its final series of the 2018 season on Thursday against Villanova, beginning at 3 p.m. at Hayden Field.
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 XU AT THE PLATE |
• XU put up 18 hits and struck out just twice in the game, working six walks and hitting four homers.
• Xavier now has a homer in 16 of its last 22 games and the Musketeers are up to 58 homers as a team this season, which is seventh all-time in program history for a single season.
• Chris Givin led XU with a 4-for-6 day at the plate, knocking in a run and raising his batting average to a team-best .333 for the season.
• Nate Soria was 3-for-6 with two runs scored and an RBI coming on his eighth inning solo homer. The senior's longball was his sixth of the season.
• Conor Grammes hit a two-run homer in the first inning, his ninth of the season, as part of a 1-for-4 day with a walk.
• Blaine Griffiths had a big day, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI. The senior outfielder hit his third homer of the season in the first inning, coming on an inside-the-park blast to center field.
• Ryan Altenberger broke out of a slump with a 3-for-5 day, scoring twice and knocking in four runs.
• Andrew Sexton was 1-for-5 with a three-run homer in the first inning, the first of his college career.
• Mitch Gallagher (1-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB), Joe Gellenbeck (1-for-6, R, RBI) and Matt Warkentin (1-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB) also collected hits for XU.
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 XU ON THE MOUND |
• Freshman Griffin Lanoue was stellar, going a career-high seven innings and allowing three earned runs -- two of which came on a two-run homer in the seventh inning. The righty struck out five and scattered seven hits, picking up his first career win.
• Junior Matt Kent came on to pitch the eighth, striking out two in a perfect inning of relief.
• Junior Chris Givin finished off the game with a 1-2-3 final frame, getting a pair of grounders and a fly out to clinch the win.
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 HOW XU SCORED |
FIRST INNING | Nate Soria singled with one out, coming around to score on a high-arcing homer to left by Conor Grammes to get XU on the board. Matt Warkentin batted next and was hit by a pitch, going to second a wild pitch and scoring on a double to deep center by Joe Gellenbeck. With three runs in, Blaine Griffiths cracked a low liner to center field that got past the defender and went all the way to the wall. The result was an inside-the-park homer, the third homer of the season for Griffiths. Mitch Gallagher followed with a walk and went to second on a wild pitch. A Ryan Altenberger single put two on for Andrew Sexton, who sent one over the fence in left center for his first career homer. The final tally for the inning was eight runs on seven hits, including three homers.
SIXTH INNING | Matt Warkentin reached on a throwing error to begin the inning, going to second when Blaine Griffiths drew a walk. With two outs, Ryan Altenberger singled to right field to bring both Griffths and Warkentin home and giving XU a 10-1 lead.
EIGHTH INNING | Blaine Griffiths led off with a single to center, going to second on a base hit to right by Mitch Gallagher. Ryan Altenberger then singled to left, bringing across two runs when the NKU left fielder made an error playing the ball off the hop. Altenberger advanced to second on the error and third on a ground out, finally scoring on an RBI ground out by Chris Givin. One batter later, Nate Soria launched a solo homer to left field to make it 14-3.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lanoue, Griffin (1-5)
L: MENFEE, Jordan (1-2)
Batting:
2B: ROBERTS, Chad 1
HR: HAUETER, Will 1
RBI: HAUETER, Will 2 ; ROBERTS, Chad 1
Base Running:
RUNS: MOFFATT, Mike 1 ; HAUETER, Will 1 ; MERCURIO, Dominic 1
CS: HAUETER, Will 1
HBP: BACON, Andrew 2
Batting:
2B: Gellenbeck, Joe 1
HR: Soria, Nate 1 ; Grammes, Conor 1 ; Griffiths, Blaine 1 ; Sexton, Andrew 1
RBI: Givin, Chris 1 ; Soria, Nate 1 ; Grammes, Conor 2 ; Gellenbeck, Joe 1 ; Griffiths, Blaine 2 ; Altenberger, Ryan 4 ; Sexton, Andrew 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Soria, Nate 2 ; Grammes, Conor 1 ; Warkentin, Matt 2 ; Gellenbeck, Joe 1 ; Griffiths, Blaine 3 ; Gallagher, Mitch 2 ; Altenberger, Ryan 2 ; Sexton, Andrew 1
SB: Warkentin, Matt 1 ; Griffiths, Blaine 1
HBP: Flamini, Sam 1 ; Warkentin, Matt 1
Game Leaders
ss/p
AB
6
R
0
H
4
RBI
1
AB
6
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
3
H
3
RBI
2
3b/ss
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
4
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
IF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
1B/OF
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