TIGERS FALL IN THE CCAC TOURNAMENT OPENER TO SXU

JOLIET, Ill. – The Olivet Nazarene University baseball team fell late to Saint Xavier 3-2 in the CCAC Tournament opener Thursday. In a tied 2-2 ballgame, the Cougars walked it off in the bottom of the ninth inning. With the game-winning run on second base and two outs, SXU hit a double to right-center field to advance to the winners' bracket while sending the Tigers to stave off elimination tomorrow against Saint Ambrose.

Kainoa Mane took the mound as ONU's starting pitcher. The right-handed sophomore set the tone early pitching three no-hit innings to open the game. Both the second and third were clean one-two-three-innings. Mane did not give up a hit until the fourth inning. He got out of a jam in the fourth where a pair of singles put two Cougars on base, one on first and another on third, with no outs. The Hawaii native got out of the inning giving up only one run and his day was done striking out five batters, walking two, and giving up two hits and one earned run.

With the score account opening in the fourth inning, the Tigers got on the board scoring twice in the fifth and seven innings to take a 2-1 lead. Taylor Steig singled up the middle to score Jack Dupuis to tie the game up. Dupuis gave Olivet their first lead of the game as a ball in play forced an SXU error to push a runner on third across Homeplate. Steig's RBI total has now reached 48 in total for the season and has four in his last four appearances.

Thomas Plizga entered the game in relief for Mane to start the fifth inning. He picked up right where no. 32 left off carrying ONU through the eighth inning, striking out three batters, and only allowing one walk, one earned run and three hits.

The Tigers failed to break the deadlock in the eighth or ninth innings opening the door for the Cougars to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth.

WHAT'S NEXT

ONU are still alive in the CCAC Tournament which is set up in a double-elimination format. Olivet will need a win over SAU tomorrow at 10 am CT to keep their season and a chance at a conference tournament four-peat going. Head to ONUTigers.com for all the live links to follow the action.

--ONU—

*Contact: Patrick Kaindl, Sports Information Graduate Assistant; email pkaindl@olivet.edu