TIGERS DROP DOUBLEHEADER AT LEAGUE-LEADING SAINT XAVIER
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Olivet Nazarene (IL) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 0 |
|
Saint Xavier (IL) | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | X | 16 | 15 | 2 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Olivet Nazarene (IL) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
|
Saint Xavier (IL) | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | X | 9 | 9 | 1 |
CHICAGO, Ill. – Playing for the first time in nearly two weeks, the Olivet Nazarene University baseball team dropped a doubleheader against the CCAC-leading Saint Xavier Cougars Tuesday afternoon at Richard R. Ferrell Memorial Field.
The Cougars (20-17, 13-7 CCAC) raced out to an early lead and never looked back to take down the Tigers 16-3 in the opener. In the nightcap, the Purple & Yellow Gold rallied to take a two-lead into the seventh but could not hold on in the 9-7 defeat.
The Tigers found themselves in a hole early in game one, facing a 9-0 deficit after the first three innings. Jordan Rhoden got his team on the board with an RBI double in the fourth, but that was the only offense ONU could muster as the SXU lead grew into double figures. Taylor Steig plated a run and Rhoden notched another RBI in the seventh, but the rally was not enough in the defeat.
Rhoden led the offense with his two RBIs. Evan Pogioli (3) and Donovan Yelle (2) both recorded multi-hit games. Jeffrey Vest was tagged with the loss as the ONU starter.
In the nightcap, Jack Dupuis staked ONU to a first-inning lead after getting hit by a pitch as the lead-off man and then wheeling around the bases on some situational hitting. The senior then scampered home on a passed ball to take an early 1-0 lead.
After Saint Xavier stormed back to claim a 5-1 lead by the third inning, the Tigers methodically chipped away at the lead with runs in three straight innings to retake the lead. The scoring stretch was highlighted by stellar base-running in a three-run seventh inning where Andy Onnen tied the game by flying home on a wild pitch. Pogioli followed him home on a passed ball in the next at-bat before Vince Martinez extended the lead to two on a wild pitch.
The lead would not hold, however, as the Cougars put up a crooked four-run seventh frame to jump back in front. Taylor Bledsoe and Yelle kickstarted a two-out rally in the ninth but failed to get any runs to take the loss. Matthew Cousino was given the loss in relief.
The Tigers will look to get back on track with a four-game series against Trinity Christian this weekend, beginning with a doubleheader Friday in Palos Heights, Ill.
--ONU—
*Contact: Evan Wild, Sports Information Director, ewwild@olivet.edu