Joliet, Ill. – A two-out RBI double in the bottom of the 9
th off the bat of sophomore outfielder
Kevin Dowling (Chicago, Ill./Murray State/Mount Carmel) gave No. 3 seed Saint Xavier University baseball (26-24/17-10 CCAC) a thrilling 3-2 walk-off victory over No. 6 Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) on day one of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Tournament Thursday afternoon at Duly Health and Care Field in Joliet, Ill. Sophomore pitcher
Noah Scott (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton) picked up the win in relief (5-1) after sophomore pitcher
Nico Saldias (Ajax, Ontario/Connors State/Pickering) kept his team in the game, tying his season-high with 10 strikeouts.
- Senior infielder Darren Zarrillo (Grapevine, Texas/Frank Phillips/Grapevine) was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base.
- The final line for Saldias, 6.2 innings with five hits, two runs (one earned), two walks, two hit batsmen and 10 strikeouts.
- Scott logged 2.1 innings out of the bullpen and allowed just one hit and had one strikeout.
- Senior infielder Patrick Hayes (Chicago, Ill./Moraine Valley/Parkland/Brother Rice) led off the bottom of the 4th with a base hit and moved to third on a single by junior catcher Evan Orzech (Shorewood, Ill./Crossroads Christian Academy). Hayes scored on a wild pitch to break the scoreless tie.
- A two-out RBI single by the Tigers tied the game in the top of the 5th and the inning would end on a caught stealing at home plate.
- An error with two outs in the top of the 7th gave ONU the lead, however it was short lived as senior pinch hitter Sam Ryan (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Conant) came through with a two-out RBI single to retie the game in the bottom of the inning.
- Zarrillo led off the bottom of the 9th with a base hit and moved to second after junior outfielder Daniel Barrios (Manteno, Ill./Manteno) was hit-by-pitch with two outs to set up Dowling's game-winning hit.
Saint Xavier (26-24/17-10 CCAC) takes on No. 7 seed Roosevelt University (Ill.) at 10:00 am on the second day of the CCAC Tournament on Friday, May 5 at Duly Health and Care Field in Joliet, Ill.