Lawrenceville, Ga. – A home run in the bottom of the 8
th with two outs that broke a 5-5 tie was the difference in a 6-5 loss for No. 5 seed Saint Xavier University baseball (31-26/17-10 CCAC) to No. 4 Midway University (Ky.) to begin competition in the NAIA Opening Round Georgia Gwinnett Bracket in Lawrenceville, Ga. Monday morning. Sophomore pitcher
Nico Saldias (Ajax, Ontario/Connors State/Pickering) made the start for the Cougars and pitched 4.1 innings with just one hit, two runs (both unearned), seven walks and four strikeouts.
- Sophomore outfielder Kevin Dowling (Chicago, Ill./Murray State/Mount Carmel) posted a team-high two hits in six at-bats with a run.
- Senior designated hitter Sam Ryan (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Conant) was 1-for-3 with a two-run double, two walks and a run scored.
- Junior outfielder Daniel Barrios (Manteno, Ill./Manteno) went 1-for-2 with two RBI, two walks, a stolen base and a triple.
- Senior infielder Darren Zarrillo (Grapevine, Texas/Frank Phillips/Grapevine) drew a pair of walks with a sacrifice fly in two at-bats.
- Sophomore pitcher Noah Scott (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton) threw 2.0 innings of relief with two hits, three runs (one earned), a walk and two strikeouts.
- Freshman pitcher Heath Mann (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy Orange) suffered the loss (3-2) after working 1.2 innings and giving up two hits, a run and striking out three.
- Zarrillo hit a sac fly to score Dowling and Barrios drew a bases loaded walk to give SXU a 2-0 lead in the top of the 1st.
- A run scored on a wild pitch to get the Eagles on the board in the bottom of the 3rd.
- Midway tied the game at 2-2 with its first hit of the game on a one-out RBI single through the left side of the infield.
- Ryan started a two-out rally in the top of the 6th with a two-run double down the left field line and Barrios followed with an RBI triple down the right field line to put Saint Xavier ahead 5-2.
- MU retied the contest in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI groundout and an SXU miscue allowed two unearned runs to cross the plate.
- A two-out home run went over the right field wall just out of reach for Barrios in the bottom of the 8th for the go-ahead run for the Eagles.
Saint Xavier (31-26/17-10 CCAC) will play the loser of the No. 2 Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.)/No. 3 Concordia University (Neb.) matchup at 10:00 am central in the elimination bracket on Tuesday, May 16 in Lawrenceville, Ga.