Courtesy of GoXavier.com
CINCINNATI – Down four after six complete innings, Xavier baseball battled all the way back for a second straight game and got another game-winner from Joe Gellenbeck (Lebanon, Ohio/St. Xavier) – this time a towering, two-run homer to right field – to claim a fourth straight weekend series with a 6-4 win over visiting Creighton on Sunday at Hayden Field.
With the victory, XU improves to 24-27 overall and 11-4 in the BIG EAST, moving into a first-place tie with Creighton and becoming the first BIG EAST team to defeat the Bluejays in a conference series since CU joined for the 2014 season.
Creighton dipped to 33-13 overall and 11-4 in league play with the setback.
The Bluejays jumped out to another early lead, scoring four runs in the first three innings before Xavier’s bullpen and some clutch defense held firm to allow the Musketeers to battle back late.
XU AT THE PLATE
· Xavier collected 10 hits on the day, putting runners on base in all nine innings before rallying late with runs in the seventh, eighth and ninth.
· XU tied a season-high with eight walks for a second straight game, finishing the weekend with 19 free passes.
· Junior Joe Gellenbeck had another great day at the plate, collecting his second straight walk-off and finishing the day 3-for-5 with a two-run homer.
· Gellenbeck finished off a huge weekend performance, batting .500 (6-for-12) over three games. The lefty swinger added three runs, a homer and five RBI in the series.
· Gellenbeck has now gone deep in nine of Xavier’s 14 weekend series.
· Rylan Bannon worked a season-high three walks, finishing his day 1-for-2 with a solo homer – his fourth of the year.
· Dan Rizzie (2-for-5, 2 R) and Will LaRue (2-for-4, 2 RBI) also had multi-hit games.
· Rizzie has now reached base in 13 straight games.
· Rizzie and Gellenbeck are now tied for the team-lead with 17 multi-hit games apiece.
· Freshmen Chris Givin (1-for-3, BB) and Roger Danison (1-for-3) also collected hits for Xavier.
XU ON THE MOUND
· Trent Astle got the start, looking for a third straight win but lasted just 2.2 innings today. The junior lefty was charged with four earned runs before giving way to the bullpen.
· Trey Schramm went two innings in relief, scattering two hits and walking four – but holding CU off the board.
· Schramm has yet to allow a run in BIG EAST play, running his scoreless streak to 10 straight innings today.
· Taylor Williams entered in the fifth to get a big strikeout with two on and two out, continuing his outing through the seventh. The freshman righty finished with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief to go with two strikeouts.
· Garrett Schilling (3-3) came on for the final two innings, escaping disaster in the eighth on a magnificent double play by Andre Jernigan up the middle. The sophomore righty then worked around a leadoff hit in the ninth and earned his second straight win with the result.
· Schilling now has the win or the save in seven of Xavier’s last 11 games (four saves, three wins).
HOW XU SCORED
SEVENTH INNING: Nate Soria worked a one out walk to get things started, advancing to second on a wild pitch before going to third on a base hit to left by Chris Givin. With runners on the corners, Will LaRuedumped a single into right field to score Soria and make it 4-1.
EIGHTH INNING: Rylan Bannon led off the frame with a longball to left, getting XU back within two. Dan Rizzie and Joe Gellenbeck then posted back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners with no outs. Creighton went to closer David Gerber, but Andre Jernigan was able to get to him for a long fly ball to left to score Rizzie and make it a one-run game. After a stolen base by Gellenbeck, Nate Soria reached on a chopper as Gellenbeck was tagged out going to third. Chris Givin followed with a two out walk, which set up the game-tying play. Will LaRue hit a grounder on the next play, beating the pitcher to the bag at first as Soria raced around to score from second and make it a 4-4 game.
NINTH INNING: The first two batters in the ninth went down on fly balls before Dan Rizzie’s found some green in the outfield. Joe Gellenbeck batted next and swatted a long, towering shot to right field to clear the bases and give Xavier the win, 6-4.
UP NEXT
· The Musketeers travel to Miami (OH) for a non-conference game on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before returning home to host their final BIG EAST series against Villanova on Thursday, May 19 at Hayden Field.
· This weekend’s BIG EAST series against Villanova runs Thursday-Saturday and will have significant seeding implications for the upcoming BIG EAST Tournament in Aberdeen, Md. Xavier has already clinched a spot in the four-team field for the second time in three years.
Leave a Reply