Richmond, Ky. - Xavier University plated three runs in the top of the 11th and avoided a furious rally by Eastern Kentucky in the bottom half, to escape with a 5-4 victory on Tuesday at Turkey Hughes Field. The Colonels (10-20) scored two runs in the bottom of the 11th to pull within a run, 5-4, and loaded the bases with two outs, but were unable to tie the game.
Eastern sent the game into extra innings thanks to a two-run single by sophomore Tony Wells in the bottom of the eighth which tied the game at 2-all. Xavier (14-24) turned to Jim Sakosits (3-3) who went the final 3.0 innings for the Musketeers to even his record on the year. Sophomore McKenzie Willoughby (4-2) took the loss for EKU after allowing three runs over 1.0 inning of work.
Willoughby got Eastern out of the 10th without incident, but surrendered consecutive doubles to Matt Lucas and Adam Lipski to start off the 11th. Lipski's double scored pinch runner Emre Caglayan and put XU ahead 3-2. Lipski then came around to score off a sacrifice bunt by Mark Janszen. Xavier's final run of the frame came off a pinch-hit RBI single from Dan Hayden.
Senior Adam Visnic and freshman Clint Seymour tried to jump start the Colonels in the bottom half, as both players reached base with singles. Back-to-back fielding errors by the Musketeer defense allowed a pair of EKU runners to score, pulling the Colonels within a run, 5-4. Sophomore Shawn Flora, who led Eastern with three hits in the loss, followed with an infield single to load the bases with two outs. Junior Brett Bolger came in to bat for senior Bryan Stevenson and hit what appeared to be a foul off his foot, but no foul was called, allowing Sakosits to throw out Bolger at first for the final out.
EKU's loss spoiled a stellar outing from senior Eric Anthrop, who in his second start of the year surrendered just two runs (one unearned) over 6.1 innings of work. Anthrop left the game in the seventh trailing 2-0, but the strong relief pitching of junior Greg Harper gave Eastern a chance to work its way back into the game. Harper threw 2.2 innings of shutout ball in relief of Anthrop, surrendering just one hit to the Musketeers.
Xavier took advantage of an EKU fielding error to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Senior Brett Smith opened the frame with a single and came around to score the game's first run after Flora dropped a fly ball in left from catcher Jordan Wolf.
Anthrop kept the Musketeers in check over the next three innings, facing the minimum in both the fourth and fifth frames. Xavier did not go quietly in the sixth, however, as senior Jay Johnson scored off a Sean Brewer double to make it a 2-0 contest.
An Adam Lipski double and a single by Janszen put runners on the corners and chased Anthrop from the game in the seventh. Harper took the mound in relief of Anthrop and promptly hit James Schlosser with a pitch to load the bases. But Harper buckled down and got the second out of the inning at the plate (5-2), then struck out Collin Salzenstein to end the inning.
Mark Grissom started off the seventh but surrendered a leadoff double to Wells and was pulled in favor of reliever Dan Graham. Grissom threw 6.0 innings of shutout ball and surrendered just four hits during his stint. With a runner on second and no out, Graham managed to preserve Grissom's shutout by fanning two of the next three batters he faced.
Graham wasn't as fortunate in the bottom of the eighth, however, as a single by sophomore Shawn Flora and walks to senior Will Whisenant and junior Chris O'Dell, led the way for Eastern to tie the game at 2-all. With the two out and the bags full, Wells came to the plate and delivered a two-run single to right. Xavier managed to nail O'Dell in a rundown off third to escape the inning and prevent any further damage.
Wells, Visnic and freshman Lucas Waters added two hits a piece to Eastern's cause, while Wells led the team with two RBI. Eastern returns to action tomorrow afternoon when it heads to Marshall for a 3 p.m. contest.
