Florence, Ky. – The Saint Xavier University baseball team (3-8/0-0 CCAC) split its doubleheader vs. Madonna University (Mich.) Sunday morning in Florence, Ky. Junior outfielder Daniel Barrios (Manteno, Ill./Manteno) slugged two of SXU's four home runs and sophomore pitcher Tommy Dougherty (Alsip, Ill./South Suburban/Shepard) recorded the win in a 13-6 victory in game one. Freshman catcher Aaron Orzech (Shorewood, Ill./Crossroads Christian Academy) homered, as did senior infielder Joe Rycerz (Schererville, Ind./Andrean), however Saint Xavier suffered an 8-7 setback in game two.

Game One:

• Barrios was 2-for-3 with four RBI and two runs scored.
• Sophomore outfielder Kevin Dowling (Chicago, Ill./Murray State/Mount Carmel) legged out an inside-the-park home run for his first collegiate four-bagger. He finished 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs.
• Junior catcher Evan Orzech (Shorewood, Ill./Crossroads Christian Academy) went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI, a run and a walk.
• Senior infielder Declan Smyth (Evergreen Park, Ill./North Central/Evergreen Park) was 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored.
• Rycerz finished 3-for-3 at the plate and scored a run.
• Dougherty (2-0) worked 4.0 innings and gave up four hits, three runs, one walk and had six strikeouts.
• Sophomore pitcher Noah Scott (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton) pitched 0.1 innings of relief with three hits allowed and three runs.
• Junior pitcher Jimmy Fairley (Lake in the Hills, Ill./Rock Valley/Huntley) worked 1.2 innings out of the bullpen surrendering just two hits and striking out five batters.
• Junior pitcher Max Smyth (Tinley Park, Ill./Illinois Central/Andrew) pitched the top of the 7^th with one hit.
• Barrios clubbed a three-run home run to the opposite field in left to give the Cougars a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the 2^nd.
• Dowling hit an RBI single in the bottom of the 3^rd to make it 4-0.
• In the bottom of the 4^th Orzech laced an RBI base hit, followed by an RBI single off the bat of senior infielder Patrick Hayes (Chicago, Ill./Moraine Valley/Parkland/Brother Rice) and he scored on a wild pitch.
• The Crusaders responded with six runs in the top of the 5^th. MU hit an RBI double, a two-run single, another RBI double and two runs scored via wild pitches to cut the deficit to 7-6.
• SXU extended its lead in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI single by Rycerz and added a run on a rundown caught stealing.
• Barrios and Orzech hit back-to-back home runs to lead off the bottom of the 6^th and Dowling would race around the bases after hitting a line drive to center field for a two-run inside-the-park home run.

Game Two:

• Evan Orzech doubled and tripled in four at-bats with a run scored out of the designated hitter position.
• His brother, Aaron, was 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.
• Rycerz finished 1-for-4 with a two-run home run.
• Sophomore pitcher Logan McCleery (Patterson, Calif./Patterson) made the start and had a no decision after 2.0 innings with six hits, seven runs (three earned) and two walks.
• Junior pitcher Tzu-Chun Yen (Kaohsiung, Taiwan/Ohlone/Meiho) logged 3.0 innings of relief and allowed five hits with two strikeouts
• Max Smyth (1-1) took the loss after an inning with one hit, one run, two walks and three strikeouts.
• Aaron Orzech hit his first collegiate home run after hitting a liner to left field for a two-run inside-the-park home run in the top of the 2^nd.
• Madonna plated seven runs in the bottom of the 2^nd. An RBI single and three two-run home runs put the Crusaders ahead 7-2.
• Junior infielder Trevor Hausherr (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) hit an RBI triple in the top of the 4^th and Saint Xavier rallied to tie the game in the top of the 5^th. Declan Smyth slugged an RBI double, senior Sean Haddlesey (Ann Arbor, Mich./Albion/Skyline) hit a pinch-hit sacrifice fly and Rycerz lined a two-run home run over the left field wall to even the game at 7-7.
• MU scored the winning run in the bottom of the 6^th with a two-out RBI single.
• The Cougars would load the bases in the top of the 7^th but could not cash in.

Saint Xavier (3-8/0-0 CCAC) travels to Cincinnati, Ohio to play Miami University-Hamilton in a three-game series that begins on Friday, February 25. Game one of the series begins at 2:00 pm central on Friday.