Xavier Takes the 10-6 Win in Season Opener at Texas A&M

Saturday, February 20

College Station, Texas

3:00 PM ET

Xavier University

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Texas A&M

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Xavier

Texas A&M

Xavier Takes the 10-6 Win in Season Opener at Texas A&M

02.20.21 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Franzoni homers twice to collect a team-high three RBI

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Xavier baseball opened up the season with a 10-6 win at Texas A&M in the first game of a doubleheader. The Musketeers collected 13 hits, including three homers, to take the win.

Texas A&M took a 3-0 lead in the first inning, pushing it out to a 5-1 advantage in the second inning. The Musketeers used a three-run third inning to pull within one, then took the lead in the fifth. The Aggies would add a run in the seventh but the Musketeers responded each time Texas A&M threatened to take the win in the season opener for the first time since 2017.

Xavier and Texas A&M will play game two later this evening and will return to Blue Bell Park for the series finale on Sunday.

XU AT THE PLATE

Luke Franzoni was 2-4 at the plate with a walk, hitting a pair of homer runs and collecting three RBI.
Jonathan Kelly went 2-of-4 at the plate, with a walk, collecting a pair of RBI and scoring a pair.
Jeff Holtz went 2-of-4 at the plate, with a walk, collecting two RBI. Holtz homered in his first at bat.
Alex Helmin went 2-of-4 at the plate, with walk, bringing in an RBI.

XU ON THE MOUND

Lane Flamm went 4.0 innings in the start, allowing five runs, but just two earned, on six hits and four walks. Flamm struck out six along the way.
Xander Rojahn entered in the fifth inning, pitching 2.0 scoreless innings, walking three while striking out two. Rojahn was credited with the win, the first of his career.
Jack Lynch entered in the seventh inning, going 0.2 innings, facing six batters and allowing one run on one hit, two walks and one hit batter.
Trey Schramm entered for the final out of the seventh inning, coming into a bases loaded situation and getting a ground ball on the first pitch to end the inning. Schramm stayed in for the final two innings, retiring all seven batters he faced to close out the win and pick up the save

HOW THEY SCORED

2ND INNING | In his first at-bat as a Musketeer, Jeff Holtz sent the first pitch he saw over the left field wall, cutting into the Texas A&M lead, 3-1.
3RD INNING | After walks by Kody Darcy and Garrett Schultz, Natale Monastra was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs. Jonathan Kelly singles to center field to bring Darcy and Schultz in, pulling Xavier within two, 5-3. Holtz followed with a single up the middle to bring Monastra home to make it 5-4 in favor of the Aggies.
5TH INNING | Monastra and Jonathan Kelly both singled to left to lead off the inning, and Holtz walked to laod the bases with no outs. Alex Helmin singled to the left sie to bring Monastra in, tying the game 5-5. Jared Cushing put the ball in play, bringing Kelly home to give Xavier th 6-5 lead.
6TH INNING | With two outs and no one on, Luke Franzoni homered to left to give Xavier a two run lead, 7-5.
8TH INNING | Garrett Schultz walked to lead off the inning, and with one out Franzoni left the park again to make it 9-6 for the Musketeers. With two outs, Kelly walked, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Jeff Holtz put the ball in play, reaching on a throwing error, and Kelly came home to make it 10-6 Xavier.