Piech Collects Career-High 10 Strikeouts as Xavier takes 3-0 Win in Series Opener at Fullerton

Friday, February 27

Fullerton, Calif.

9:30 PM ET

Xavier University

3-6

Cal State Fullerton

3-6

Xavier

Cal State Fullerton

Piech Collects Career-High 10 Strikeouts as Xavier takes 3-0 Win in Series Opener at Fullerton

02.27.26 | Baseball

Box Score Season Stats Box Score (PDF)

Musketeers and Titans set for game two at 8 PM ET on Saturday

By: Xavier Athletic Communications

FULLERTON, Calif. - Xavier's pitching staff collected a season-high 14 strikeouts while holding Cal State Fullerton to just a pair of hits on the way to a 3-0 win in the series opener against the Titans at Goodwin Field on Friday evening.

The game was scoreless into the fifth, with Ryan Piech facing the minimum in each of the first three innings and only allowing three base runners, on one hit, a walk and a hit-by-pitch, in 6.0 innings of work, striking out 10 of the 20 batters he faced.

Xavier got on the board in the top of the fifth after JD Crisp led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a single from Jonathan Fitz. A fly ball from Eddie Peters allowed Crisp to move to third, and he scored on a sac fly from Clay Burdette for the 1-0 lead.

The Musketeers made it a 2-0 lead in the seventh after Crisp again led off the frame with a single, moving to second after Fitz was hit by a pitch, then moving to third on a wild pitch. Another sac fly from Burdette allowed Crisp to come home for the two-run lead.

In the ninth Xavier made it a 3-0 advantage after Crisp got on with a walk, stole second and scored on a single from Fitz, Crisp's third run scored of the night.

After Piech limited the Titans to just one hit in the first six innings, Garrett Helsel came in from the bullpen and allowed just one hit in the final three frames, picking up the save in the Xavier staff's first shutout of the season.

Game two with the Titans is set for an 8:00 p.m. ET start on Saturday, Feb. 28.

AT THE PLATE

JD Crisp went 2-3 with a walk, scoring all three runs for the Musketeers.
Clay Burdette finished 2-2 with a pair of RBIs on two sac flys.
Jonathan Fitz went 2-4 and drove in an RBI.
Luke Hammond (2-4) recorded a pair of hits.
Peter Johnson (1-3, 1 BB) and Eddie Peters each recorded a hits on a 10-hit day for the Musketeers.

on the mound

Ryan Piech pitched 6.0 scoreless innings in the start, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out 10, topping his career-high of nine Ks set last week against Arkansas. Piech picked up the win, his first of the season.
Garrett Helsel came in for the seventh, going the final 3.0 innings without allowing a run. Helsel matched his season-high with four strikeouts and picked up his second save of the season.
Piech and Helsel combined for 14 strikeouts, a season-high for the Musketeer pitching staff, while limiting the Titans' offense to a season-low two hits.

HIGHLIGHTS