Cedar Rapids, Iowa – Sophomore infielder Noah Dreier (Brookfield, Wis./Brookfield Central) paced the Saint Xavier University baseball (9-9/2-0 CCAC) offense, finishing 5-for-8 with five RBI, three doubles, a stolen base and a walk to help the Cougars sweep St. Ambrose University (Iowa) in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) opener for both programs Saturday afternoon at the Plaster Complex in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Dreier and junior catcher Aaron Orzech (Shorewood, Ill./Crossroads Christian Academy) each had two RBI and graduate student pitcher Jimmy Fairley (Lake in the Hills, Ill./Rock Valley/Huntley) earned the win on the mound in an 11-1 triumph in game one. Dreier clubbed three doubles, while senior pitcher Logan McCleery (Patterson, Calif./Patterson) came away with victory in a 13-7 win in game two.

Game One:

• Graduate student outfielder Travis Hammond (Stone Mountain, Ga./Southern Wesleyan/Emmanuel/Columbus State/Chamblee) was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two stolen bases, an RBI triple and a walk.
• Dreier went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a steal.
• Orzech hit a two-run double, finishing 1-for-3.
• Sophomore infielder Troy Stukenberg (La Grange, Ill./Lyons Township) smacked a pair of doubles while going 2-for-3 at the plate.
• Senior outfielder Sean Moore (Chicago, Ill./Calumet St. Joseph/Thornwood) had a triple in four at-bats with an RBI and a run.
• Senior infielder Justin Massingale (Carbondale, Ill./St. Charles/Carbondale Community) scored three runs, had a stolen base and he drew a walk after going 0-for-2.
• Fairley (2-1) pitched 4.0 innings, allowing eight hits, one earned run and striking out two batters.
• Junior pitcher Trent Markezich (Mount Olive, Ill./Mount Olive) earned his second save of the season after tossing 3.0 innings of relief. He scattered two hits with a walk and four strikeouts.
• SXU got on the board first when Massingale scored off an error in the top of the 3^rd.
• St. Ambrose tied the game in the bottom of the 4^th on an RBI single.
• Graduate student designated hitter Gabe Kirck (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich./Olivet/De La Salle) hit an RBI groundout and Dreier poked an RBI single through the left side of the infield to put Saint Xavier up 3-1 in the top of the 5^th.
• In the top of the 6^th, Moore and Hammond hammered back-to-back RBI triples, and Hammond scored on a wild pitch. Graduate student infielder Taylor Steig (Corona, Calif./Olivet Nazarene/Redwoods/Santiago) added an RBI base hit to push the advantage to 8-1.
• Senior pinch-hitter Michael Flier (Greenup, Ill./Spoon River/Cumberland) hit a sacrifice fly and Orzech line a two-run double to the gap in left center to cap the scoring in the top of the 7^th.

Game Two:

• Dreier was 3-for-4 with three RBI, three doubles and three runs scored.
• Moore went 3-for-5 with two RBI, a double and a run.
• Massingale had two hits in four at-bats with two RBI, a run scored, a steal and a walk.
• Stukenberg finished 1-for-3 with a two-run double and a walk.
• McCleery (2-3) worked 5.0 innings, giving up seven hits four runs (three earned), a walk and striking out five batters.
• Junior pitcher Gannon Burns (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) threw 2.0 innings of relief, allowing two hits, a run and a strikeout.
• Sophomore pitcher John Simecek (Twinsburg, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) saw 2.0 innings out of the bullpen, surrendering four hits, two earned run and two walks.
• The Fighting Bees went up 3-0 in the bottom of the 1^st on a two-run single and an error.
• In the top half of the next inning, Stukenberg mashed a two-run ground-rule double to the gap in right center field.
• Massingale tied the game in the top of the 3^rd with an RBI single.
• SAU retook the lead, 4-3, in the bottom of the 3^rd off an RBI base hit.
• Saint Xavier plated six runs in the top of the 4^th. Moore sliced an RBI double, Massingale lined an RBI single, Steig drew a bases loaded walk and Dreier hit a bases clearing double to go up 9-4.
• St. Ambrose scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 6^th.
• Senior pinch-hitter Mason Johnson (Palmdale, Calif./Antelope Valley/Quartz Hill) tallied an infield RBI single and Moore hit an RBI base hit to center to push the lead to 11-5 in the top of the 7^th.
• In the top of the 9^th, Dreier scored on a passed ball and junior outfielder Shea Zbrozek (Bloomington, Ill./Danville Area/Normal Community) hit an RBI single through the right side.
• The Fighting Bees hit a pair of RBI singles in the bottom of the 9^th before Simecek rolled a double-play to end the contest.

Saint Xavier (9-9/0-0 CCAC) concludes its series with St. Ambrose with a doubleheader at Richard R. Ferrell Memorial Field on Sunday, March 9. Game one is scheduled for a 12:00 pm first pitch.