Ozark, Mo. – The Saint Xavier University baseball team (4-2/0-0 CCAC) started play in the Battle in the Hills tournament hosted by Mission University (Mo.) Friday afternoon at Ozark Mounts Sports Complex in Ozark, Mo. The Cougars won in extra-innings in their first game, 1-0, after a balk scored senior outfielder
Sean Moore (Chicago, Ill./Calumet St. Joseph/Thornwood). Junior pitcher
Trent Markezich (Mount Olive, Ill./Mount Olive) came away with the win in relief after pitching 1.1 innings of relief. SXU lost its second game of the day, falling to Southwestern Christian University (Okla.) by a 6-1 decision.
Game One:
- Moore finished the game 0-2 for with a pair of walks and a stolen base.
- Graduate student infielder Taylor Steig (Corona, Calif./Olivet Nazarene/Redwoods/Santiago) went 2-for-3.
- Graduate student pitcher Jimmy Fairley (Lake in the Hills, Ill./Rock Valley/Huntley) made the start, lasting 6.2 innings with seven hits allowed and a strikeout.
- Markezich didn't allow a base runner and he had a strikeout to improve to 1-0 on the season.
- Moore drew a two-out walk in the top of the 8th, advanced to second on a balk, and he moved up to third on an infield single from senior infielder Justin Massingale (Carbondale, Ill./St. Charles/Carbondale Community). A second balk allowed the winning run to score.
Game Two:
- Senior outfielder Michael Flier (Greenup, Ill./Spoon River/Cumberland) was 1-for-3 with an RBI double.
- Massingale went 1-for-1 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch.
- Senior pitcher Logan McCleery (Patterson, Calif./Patterson) took the loss (0-2) after throwing 4.1 innings with six hits given up, three runs (all earned), a walk and two strikeouts.
- Senior pitcher Logan Antrim (Effingham, Ill./Lincoln Land/St. Anthony) pitched 0.2 innings, surrendering four hits and three runs (all earned).
- Freshman pitcher Tyler Deluca (Minooka, Ill./Minooka Community) made his collegiate debut, working 2.0 innings out of the bullpen with two hits allowed and a strikeout.
- SCU went up 1-0 in the top of the 2nd on an RBI single.
- The Eagles tacked on three runs in the top of the 5th on a pair of RBI singles and an RBI double
- Southwestern Christian went up 6-0 in the top of the 6th off an RBI single and a run crossing home plate on a double play.
- Flier lined an RBI double for Saint Xavier in the bottom of the 6th.
Saint Xavier (4-2/0-0 CCAC) wraps up play in the Battle in the Hills tournament on Saturday, February 8 when they play Kansas Christian College at 10:00 am, followed by another game with Southwestern Christian at 1:00 pm.