April 13, 2008

Box Score

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Xavier baseball team rallied in the ninth inning to overcome a four-run deficit to Charlotte in its 10-9 win over the 49ers on Sunday afternoon at Hayes Stadium. The Musketeers used six hits to score five runs in the top of the last inning and then kept Charlotte scoreless in the bottom of the frame to earn the victory. XU has now gone 2-1 in all four Atlantic 10 series it has played in so far this season.

Junior Adam Pasono went 3-for-5 from the plate with two runs scored, including the winning run, and two RBIs. Sophomore Zac Richard also went 3-for-5 on the day with one run scored and one RBI.

Charlotte (27-7,9-3 A-10) went up early after scoring three runs in the first inning and added another one in the second when Shayne Moody's single scored Aaron Bray from second. The Niners held the 4-0 advantage heading into the third.

Xavier (14-17,8-4 A-10) got on the board in the third, scoring two runs off three Musketeer hits including junior Steve Brown's double. XU added one more run in each of the next two innings, tying the game at four runs apiece.

The Niners seemingly broke the game open with a five-run seventh inning as they used four hits to take the 9-4 lead. Xavier went to the bull pen twice in the frame in an attempt to stop the scoring run and the Musketeers were able to get out of the inning with two runners left on base.

XU got a run back in the eighth after Brown's ground out to the second baseman allowed Pasono to come across but the Musketeers still trailed by four, 9-5. Richard started off the ninth with a single to right field and the hits kept coming for the Musketeers. Junior Jordan Conley doubled down the right field line and junior Sean Farrell singled through the right side, scoring Richard. Senior Andy Zellers singled through the left side, scoring Conley, and senior Nick Egloff entered the game to pinch run for Zellers.

Pasono singled to left, scoring Farrell, and Charlotte looked to their bull pen for a change. Sophomore Drew Schmidt followed that with a single, scoring Egloff, and Brown was walked to load the bases. Sophomore Bobby Freking's sacrifice fly out scored Pasono to put the Musketeers up by one, 10-9, which would prove to be the final score.

Freshman Tom Shirley (1-1) got the win for the Musketeers after facing five batters in the eighth inning. Conley notched his six save of the year for his work in the ninth inning. Starter sophomore Danny Rosenbaum struck out six batters while walking one in 4.0 innings of work.

Justin Duncan (0-2) took the loss for the Niners after giving up all six of Xavier's runs over the last two innings of the game.

The Musketeers return to action on Tuesday, April 15, when they travel to Dayton, Ohio to face the Wright State Raiders. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.