Branson, Mo. – The Saint Xavier University baseball team (3-5/0-0 CCAC) played a pair of doubleheaders in the Battle in the Hills round robin tournament co-hosted by College of the Ozarks (Mo.) and Mission University (Mo.) Friday in Point Lookout, Mo. and Saturday in Branson, Mo. On Friday, the Cougars lost to Ozarks, 3-2, on a walk-off two-run base hit, and in the nightcap, their rally came up short in a 7-6 loss to MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.). SXU defeated Calvary University (Mo.) in the morning contest by a 9-5 decision and they upset No. 23 Columbia College (Mo.) in the afternoon as they scored four runs in the bottom of the 6^th for a 4-3 comeback victory.

Senior infielder Shea Zbrozek (Bloomington, Ill./Danville Area/Normal Community) went 5-for-10 over the weekend with four RBI, two doubles, two walks, a hit-by-pitch, a run scored and a stolen base to pace the offense. Senior catcher Aaron Orzech (Shorewood, Ill./Crossroads Christian Academy) had three hits in 11 at-bats with three runs, three stolen bases, two hit-by-pitches, two walks and a double. Sophomore outfielder Parker Violett (Maple Park, Ill./Kaneland) was 2-for-9 with five walks, four runs scored, a double, a hit-by-pitch and a steal. Freshman infielder Trevor Corbett (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) had two hits in 10 official at-bats, scoring five runs, along with three stolen bases, two doubles, two hit-by-pitches and a pair of walks. Junior outfielder Ben Meier (Beechwood, Ky./Lincoln Trail/Beechwood) drew four walks with three runs scored, three steals, a base hit and a hit-by-pitch.

Game One:

• Junior infielder/pitcher John Simecek (Twinsburg, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) was 1-for-3 with two RBI, a double and a walk.
• Violett finished 1-for-2 with two walks.
• Corbett had a hit in two at-bats with a double, a run scored, a steal and a walk.
• Senior pitcher Trent Markezich (Mount Olive, Ill./Mount Olive) pitched 6.0 innings, allowing just three hits, two runs (one earned) and five strikeouts.
• Senior pitcher Nick Krueger (Clifton, Ill./Danville Area/Clifton Central) took the loss (1-1) after throwing 0.2 innings with one hit, an unearned run, a walk and a strikeout.
• The Bobcats struck first with a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth.
• Simecek slugged an RBI double to tie the game in the top of the 6^th.
• In the Top of the 7^th, Simecek drew a bases load walk to give Saint Xavier a 2-1 lead.
• Ozarks won the game in the bottom of the 7^th on a two-out, two-run single. Both runs were unearned.

Game Two:

• Zbrozek went 1-for-3 with an RBI double, a run scored, a stolen base and a walk.
• Violett doubled in four trips to the plate and he scored a run.
• Freshman outfielder Kaleb Navarro (Chicago, Ill./De La Salle) was 1-for-2 with an RBI and a walk.
• Junior pitcher Cole Martz (Huntington, Ind./Kankakee/Huntington North) logged 4.0 innings in the start, scattering three hits with four runs (three earned), four walks and striking out six batters.
• Redshirt sophomore pitcher Jake Fenton (Chicago, Ill./Loras/Brother Rice) worked 2.0 innings of relief with just one hit, one walk and four strikeouts.
• Sophomore pitcher Tyler Deluca (Minooka, Ill./Minooka Community) took the loss (0-1) after pitching 1.0 inning with one hit, three runs (two earned), two walks and three strikeouts.
• The Pioneers took a 2-0 lead in the top of the 1^st on an RBI double and an RBI fielder's choice.
• The Cougars tied the game in the bottom of the 3^rd when Meier scored on a wild pitch and Corbett stole home.
• MNU retook the lead in the top of the 4^th with a two-run home run.
• In the bottom of the 6^th, Zbrozek smacked an RBI double and Navarro lined an RBI single to square the game at 4-4.
• MidAmerica Nazarene rallied for three runs in the top of the 7^th as a wild pitch allowed two runs to score, and another run crossed after a passed ball.
• SXU plated a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning with two outs, however a groundout ended the game with the tying run on base.

Game Three:

• Zbrozek collected three hits in four at-bats with three RBI and a double.
• Orzech was 1-for-2 with two hit-by-pitches, two runs, two steals and a double.
• Senior outfielder Ryan O'Farrell (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) finished 1-for-1 with two walks, a run and a stolen base.
• Junior catcher Victor Zaragoza (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) tripled in four trips to the dish with an RBI.
• Senior pitcher Gannon Burns (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) earned his first win of the season (1-0), throwing 4.0 innings with six hits, one earned run, a walk and striking out four batters.
• Redshirt freshman pitcher Ethan Godlewski (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) worked 2.0 innings out of the bullpen with just a walk and a strikeout.
• Graduate student pitcher John Creviston (Westchester, Ill./Benedictine/Brother Rice) went 0.1 innings, giving up two hits, four earned runs, a walk and a strikeout.
• Senior pitcher Osvaldo Ballesteros Jr. (Berwyn, Ill./St. Laurence) pitched 0.2 innings with a hit and a strikeout.
• Corbett scored on an error to give Saint Xavier a 1-0 lead in the top of the 1^st.
• Senior infielder Beau Polickey (Oak Lawn, Ill./Heartland/Brother Rice) picked up an RBI on a groundout and O'Farrell stole home to push the advantage to 3-0 in the top of the 2^nd.
• The Warriors responded with a run in the bottom half of the frame when the runner scored after the batter was caught in a run-down trying to advance to second on a base hit.
• In the top of the 3^rd, Orzech scored on an error and Zaragoza drove in a run on a fielder's choice to go up 5-1.
• The Cougars plated three runs in the top of the 4^th when freshman infielder Lucas Petersen (Olympia, Wash./Capital) drew a bases loaded walk for his first collegiate RBI, and Zbrozek hit a two-run single.
• Zbrozek made it 9-1 in the top of the 6^th after he smashed an RBI double.
• Calvary scored four runs in the bottom of the 7^th on an RBI walk and a bases clearing double before Ballesteros Jr. ended the game with a strikeout.

Game Four:

• Orzech had two hits in three at-bats, scoring a run and stealing a base.
• Redshirt freshman infielder Jackson Michko (Dyer, Ind./Lake Central) recorded his first collegiate hit, a double, and his first collegiate RBI after going 1-for-2.
• Senior pitcher Thomas Plizga (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Olivet Nazarene/Fremd) toed the rubber, throwing 4.0 innings with four hits, three runs (one earned), a walk and seven strikeouts, tied for his most with SXU.
• Simecek worked 2.0 innings of relief to come away with the win (1-0) after allowing two hits and a walk.
• Junior pitcher Richard Gomez (Chicago, Ill./Parkland/Concordia/St. Laurence) posted his first save for Saint Xavier, working a 1-2-3 bottom of the 7^th, striking out the final two batters in the upset win.
• Columbia built a 2-0 lead in the top of the 1^st on an RBI single and an RBI groundout. They added to the advantage with an RBI double in the top of the 5^th.
• The Cougars railed for four runs in the bottom of the 6^th. Corbett lifted a sacrifice fly to get SXU on the board. Meier scored on a wild pitch, and Orzech tied the game when he raced home on a passed ball. Michko drove in the winning run when sent a sac fly to right field to score Violett.

Saint Xavier (3-5/0-0 CCAC) plays a pair of split doubleheaders on Friday, February 13 and 14 in Alton, Ill. They play host University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy in St. Louis (Mo.) at Noon, followed by a game with Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.) on Friday at 6:00 pm. Saturday, they flip the schedule, playing Freed-Hardeman at Noon and UHSP at 3:00 pm.