Xavier finishes off sweep of Fairleigh Dickinson, 15-3

CINCINNATI – Xavier baseball finished off a series sweep on Sunday, using a seven-run sixth to get past Fairleigh Dickinson, 15-3, at Hayden Field.

The Musketeers, 9-2 in their last 11, improved to 16-12 overall. The Knights dropped to 4-14 on the season.

Xavier scored a total of 45 runs in the series, the most since head coach Scott Googins took over the program in 2006, while collecting 46 hits overall to raise the team batting average by 21 points.

XU also connected for nine homers on the weekend, including three by Rylan Bannon.

XU AT THE PLATE
• After being held scoreless for just the third time this season on Wednesday at Miami (OH), Xavier’s offense scored 45 runs on 46 hits this weekend.
• Xavier entered the weekend hitting .238 as a team and exits the weekend hitting .259.
• The 45 runs were the most scored by an XU team in a three-game series under head coach Scott Googins.
• As a team, XU hit .434 in the series (46-for-106) with nine homers and 43 RBI. The Musketeers also worked 22 walks in the series to post a .522 team on-base percentage.
• Connor Grammes went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a sacrifice fly. He now leads the team with 13 multi-hit games and has reached base in 12 straight.
• Grammes continues to swing a hot bat, recording a .548 (23-for-42) batting average with two homers and 10 RBI over his last 12 games. For the weekend, Grammes hit .636 (7-for-11) with a homer and six RBI.
• Joe Gellenbeck went 3-for-6 with a season-high four RBI.
• Rylan Bannon went 1-for-2 with three runs scored and his third homer of the weekend. Bannon, who leads XU with eight homers on the year, hit .444 in the series (4-for-9, 3 HR, 6 RBI).
• Nate Soria was 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI.
• Ethan Schmidt went 3-for-3 off the bench, scoring twice and knocking two runs in as well.
• Roger Danison went 1-for-2 off the bench, scoring a run and producing an RBI.
• Sam Flamini and Blaine Griffiths both collected pinch hit singles and went 1-for-1 on the day.
• Chris Givin went 0-for-2 with a walk and a pair of sacrifice flies. After missing 17 games, Givin is now hitting .357 (5-for-14) in four games since coming back from a hand injury.

XU ON THE MOUND
• Senior lefty Greg Jacknewitz (1-2) got the start and went five innings, allowing four hits and two runs while striking out three.
• Trey Schramm followed with two spotless innings of relief, striking out three and allowing just one hit.
• Conor Grammes set the Knights down 1-2-3 in the eighth and finished the game out in the ninth allowing one run in total.