Shortstop Shayne Moody was 8-for-12 in the weekend series versus Xavier. |
|
|
Xavier Rallies in Final Two Innings to Win Series at Charlotte, 10-9 on Sunday
April 13, 2008
Charlotte, N.C. - Xavier scored six runs in the final two innings on the road to overtake Charlotte 10-9 in the Atlantic 10 baseball series finale Sunday at Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium. The series win was the first for an opposing Atlantic 10 team in Charlotte since Saint Louis won two of three to finish April of 2006. Xavier pushed its record to 14-17, 8-4 in league play. Charlotte dropped to 27-7 on the season, 9-3 in league play.
All three games were won in the series on the victor's final at-bat.
Charlotte started early offensively, netting three runs in the first on three hits and an error. Niners second baseman Corey Shaylor drove home a pair with a double to left center in that opening frame.
Charlotte added another run in the second when Shayne Moody singled home Aaron Bray with two outs after he doubled to left center. Moody had three hits in the game and finished 8-for-12 in the three-game series.
Xavier then made their run, scoring a pair of runs in the third and one each in the fourth and fifth innings to tie the game at four. In the third, the Musketeers had three straight hits, including back-to-back RBI singles by designated hitter Bobby Freking and first baseman Zac Richard.
The Xavier run in the fourth was unearned when Billy O'Connor reached via error and came home on an RBI double by center fielder Adam Pasono. Pasono also recorded three hits and finished 6-for-11 in the series. In the fifth, Brown scored again on an RBI single to right center by shortstop Jordan Conley. Xavier left the bases loaded in that inning with just the one run in.
Charlotte appeared to break the game open in the seventh for five runs on four hits, two walks and a hit batter. Designated hitter Rob Lyerly drove in a pair with the bases loaded and Shaylor added an RBI in the inning to drive in the team-high of three for the game.
|
|
 |
The Musketeers added a run when Pasono doubled and scored on a pair of groundouts, with Brown collecting his only RBI of the day.
Xavier gutted out six hits to get the lead in the ninth with five different players driving in a run. The tying run came across on Drew Schmidt's only hit of the day, a single to center, while Freking drove in the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly to center.
Neither starter was a factor in the decision. Xavier lefty Danny Rosenbaum gave up eight hits and a walk, earning two of the four runs scored against him. He struck out six Niners.
Charlotte freshman Ryan Rivers also managed four innings, with six hits and no walks and a pair of strikeouts. Two of the three runs scored against him were earned.
Duncan took the loss, dropping him to 0-2. He allowed the six late runs on six hits, with one strikeout.
Xavier lefty Tom Shirley pitched a scoreless eighth and was the recipient of the win (1-1). He gave up a hit and a walk but stranded those runners on base. The hit was by Brad McElroy, extending his hit streak to 26 games in a row, one shy of the second-longest in school history (Keith English, 1995).
As he did Friday night, shortstop Jordan Conley moved to the mound to get his second save of the weekend. He stranded a pair of runners on in the ninth for his sixth save of the season.
Charlotte will head to No. 4 North Carolina on Wednesday, at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary, N.C. Game time is set for 6 p.m.
NOTES: With Tuesday's completed game against N.C. A&T counting in the record books on the completion date, Charlotte recorded a 4-2 week, the most games in one week since 1996.
