May 12, 2007

Box Score

CINCINNATI - For the second straight game, freshman Drew Schmidt drove in the game-winning run for Xavier after classmate Zac Richard drove in the tying run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings. The Musketeers scored two runs in the final two frames to down visiting La Salle, 5-4, and move one game closer to an Atlantic 10 Championship berth. The win moves XU to 23-27 on the season and 14-9 in the A-10, while the Explorers fall to 16-28 overall and 8-15 in conference.

Schmidt stepped to the plate with no outs and a runner on second in the bottom of the tenth. Classmate Pat Coffey started the inning with a double off the left center wall to put the winning run in scoring position. After a failed sacrifice attempt, Schmidt fouled off two key pitches before drilling the game winner up the middle to score Coffey and earn the walk-off single for the second time in as many days.

The Musketeers got to extra innings after an exciting ninth inning. Neil Lindgren sent a ball just over the shortstop for a one-out single in the bottom of the ninth before Richard stepped to the plate. The freshman delivered a double that bounced off the left center field fence and allowed Lindgren to score all the way from first to knot the score at 4-4 and send the game into extra innings.

La Salle got on the board first as starter Charlie Leesman hit the first batter he faced in the inning and good execution by the Explorers' offense resulted in a sacrifice fly to make the score 1-0.

XU responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the fifth as Robbie Kelley singled to start the inning before Andy Zellers sacrificed him to second. A groundout by Schmidt moved the junior to third before Matt Waskerwitz delivered a base hit up the middle to knot the score at 1-1.

The Musketeers would take their first lead of the game in the bottom of the seventh. Trailing 2-1, Zellers doubled to right center before a failed pickoff attempt allowed him to advance to third with no outs. Schmidt again delivered a single up the middle for his first RBI of the day and the score was tied at 2-2. A sac bunt by Waskerwitz moved Schmidt into scoring position with one out before Lindgren singled to third to put runners at the corners. Jordan Wolf then delivered the go-ahead single up the middle to score Schmidt and give XU its first lead, 3-2.

After La Salle answered with a two-run homerun in the top of the eighth to regain the lead, the Musketeers rallied in the ninth with Richard's game-tying double.

Schmidt ended the afternoon 2-for-4 with a team-high two RBIs and a run scored, while Lindgren had four hits and ended 4-for-5. Wolf finished 3-for-5 with an RBI, while Waskerwitz and Richard earned the other RBIs for the Musketeers.

Senior David Hartman pitched the final 2.0 innings to pick up his second with of the season. The righty allowed just four hits over the two innings and struck out one. Leesman got the no-decision after throwing 7.0 innings of solid baseball. The sophomore scattered five hits and allowed two runs, one earned and struck out four.

On the afternoon, the Xavier freshman class was a combined 4-for-7 with two doubles, three RBIs, two runs scored and two clutch hits. The Musketeers finished with four doubles, which was one shy of the season-high set against Richmond earlier in the season.

The two teams will wrap up the series tomorrow afternoon as game three of the series will begin at 12:00 pm at Hayden Field. Xavier will have junior Michael Lucas (2-6, 5.72 ERA) on the mound with La Salle's starter still to be determined.