Eight-run first, combined shutout propels Xavier to 11-0 win over Oklahoma

Courtesy of GoXavier.com

LOUISVILLE, Ky. –  An explosive first inning on offense and combined shutout, fueled by a season-high eight scoreless innings for Trent Astle, secured an 11-0 win for Xavier Baseball over No. 2 seed Oklahoma. The win in the elimination game of the Louisville Regional on Sunday afternoon marks the sixth NCAA Tournament victory in Xavier Baseball history.

The No. 3 seeded Musketeers move to the Regional Final for only the second time in program history after advancing to the Regional Final in the Vanderbilt Regional last season. The Musketeers will face host Louisville on Sunday evening for a chance to continue on in NCAA Tournament play.

The Musketeers now stand at 34-26 on the season.

NEXT UP

• Xavier will face the No. 1 seed Louisville in the Regional Final tonight at 7:00 p.m. at Jim Patterson Stadium on the campus of the University of Louisville.
• Against the Cardinals, the Musketeers will be looking for a win to force a game seven in the double-elimination format for a chance to advance.

XU ON THE MOUND

• Trent Astle made his 12th start of the season for the Musketeers and his third career NCAA Tournament start, the most NCAA starts in XU history.
• The senior left hander pitched eight scoreless innings and picked up his fifth win of the season. Astle allowed eight hits, struck out four and walked one in his season-high for innings pitched.
• Astle is now in sole possession of sixth place in Xavier records for career innings pitched at 296 total.
• Jason Hall came out for the ninth for the Musketeers, facing four batters, allowing a walk and a getting strikeout to secure the shutout win for Xavier.

XU AT THE PLATE

• The Musketeers recorded 14 hits, the 29th game this season Xavier has finished with 10 or more in the hit column.
• Xavier’s 14 hits are the most for a single game since posting 17 in the 13-3 win over St. John’s in the opening game of the BIG EAST Tournament.
• Rylan Bannon went 4-of-4, with a walk, including a pair of hits in the first inning. The BIG EAST Player of the Year led the Musketeers with three RBI and three runs scored.
• Bannon (4-of-4, 3 R, 3 RBI) brought his average to .636 through three games at the Louisville Regional.
• Bannon’s third inning homer was the third of his career in NCAA play and moved him into third in XU history for single season home runs with 15 for the year.
• Ethan Schmidt finished the day 3-of-5 at the plate, collecting two runs and an RBI.
• Will LaRue (2-of-4, R, RBI) has reached base in nine straight games for the Musketeers.
• Conor Grammes (1-of-4, R, RBI) has reached base in 17 straight games.
• Chris Givin (1-of-5, RBI), Joe Gellenbeck (1-of-4, R), Mitch Gallagher (1-of-5, R, 2 RBI) each recorded a hit for the Musketeers.
• In the first inning, Xavier brought 13 to the plate, with every XU starter reaching base at least once in the first inning. Five Musketeers hits and three batters hit-by-pitches fueled the eight run inning.
• Seven Musketeers collected RBIs on the day, with each those recording at least one in the first inning.

HOW XU SCORED

FIRST: Conor Grammes got the Musketeers started with one out, hitting a single to the pitcher, followed by a Rylan Bannon single through the right side. A hit-by-pitch for Joe Gellenbeck loaded the bases. Will LaRue dropped the ball just inside the first base line, reaching safely and advancing to second after the ball was misplayed by OU. The error on the Sooners allowed Grammes and Bannon to score to give the Musketeers a 2-0 lead.

With runners on second and third, Mitch Gallagher dropped a ball into the left side of the infield. The ball was misplayed by OU at third base, bringing LaRue home to put the Musketeers up 3-0.

After LaRue’s RBI, Nate Soria was hit by a pitch to load the bases. In the next at-bat Matt Fallon took a pitch off his back to bring LaRue home, putting the score at 4-0 before Oklahoma pulled its starting pitcher with one out and bases loaded in the first.

Against the OU reliever, Ethan Schmidt dropped single into left center field to score Gallagher and put the Xavier lead at 5-0.

After flying out to lead off the inning, Chris Givin singled through the left side in his second at-bat of the first to score Soria, setting the score at 6-0.

In his second at-bat of the inning Grammes hit a sacrifice fly to right center to bring Fallon home and put Xavier up 7-0.

Bannon singled to left field for his second hit of the first inning, bringing Ethan Schmidt home to set the score at 8-0 before a Gellenbeck pop-up ended the inning.

THIRD: Schmidt led off the inning with his second hit of the day, a single up the middle. Ground outs for Givin and Grammes advanced Schmidt to third, when Bannon homered for his third hit of the day to bring Schmidt in and push the score to 10-0 for the Musketeers.

SIXTH: Bannon took a lead-off walk, advancing to third on a Joe Gellenbeck single. Gallagher grounded the ball to the OU shortstop who went home on a fielder’s choice, but Bannon beat out the throw to bring the score to 11-0 for the Musketeers.