The bipolar tendency of Chicagoland weather has forced Saint Xavier’s baseball team to play in harsh conditions, as well as compensate their schedule for several postponements or cancellations. With an overall record of 11-13 (4-3 in conference) entering April, the Cougars were looking to make some noise in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference.
Unfortunately, two games late last week were postponed, while another contest needed to be suspended due to rain. Despite some inconsistent weather, the Cougars were able to play a three game series against a top CCAC contender Saint Ambrose University at the start of April.
On Saturday, April 2, Saint Xavier traveled to Davenport, Iowa for a doubleheader against the second place team in the North division of the CCAC. Unfortunately, the Cougars’ pitching could not contain the hot hitting offense of the Fighting Bees, as Saint Ambrose totaled 33 hits over two games.
Game one got off to a less than ideal start for Saint Xavier, as the Cougars were blindsided by Fighting Bees runs in the bottom of the first. Freshman starter Brett Smith settled down as the game progressed, but his counterpart, Joe Prete, shut down the Cougars’ offense in seven innings of work.
Prete held Saint Xavier to one run on seven hits in a complete game pitching performance. Junior catcher Ryan Pellack led the way for the Cougars’ offense with two hits, a walk and a run batted in. Saint Ambrose provided enough fire power with their bats and quality starting pitching to handily defeat the Cougars in game one by a score of 11-1.
Game two was much of the same for Saint Xavier, due to the scorching Saint Ambrose offense. Like in game one, Saint Xavier fell behind 4-0 in the first inning and could not find a way out of the hole. The Fighting Bees stung over and over again in the third inning, eventually totaling nine runs on seven hits to put the game out of reach.
Saint Xavier fought in their half of the fifth inning with five runs on four hits, but it was not enough. Saint Ambrose won a shortened nine inning affair in eight innings 16-6. Senior Steve Carrabotta, junior Eric West and junior Alex Neufeld each had two hits in the contest and combined to score four runs.
The series finale was hosted by Saint Xavier and it would be one to remember. Saint Xavier flipped the script on Saint Ambrose by giving the Fighting Bees a taste of their own medicine. The Cougars jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning with RBIs by the junior duo Ryan Pellack and Bryan Polak.
Saint Xavier added to its lead in the bottom of the third. After a one out double by freshman Garrett Bright followed by an Erik Eggert single, Polak came through with an RBI fielder’s choice. The Cougars held a confided 3-0 lead with starter Tyler Hebel on his game early.
In the Fighting Bees’ half of the fifth, Saint Xavier’s lead evaporated in the blink of an eye. With runners on second and third and one out, Saint Ambrose laced a triple to left center that scored two. Then, a sac fly brought in the tying run shortly thereafter to make it a new ball game.
Saint Ambrose looked to build on its momentum, and sweep the three game CCAC series. In the seventh inning, that looked to be the case. Fighting Bees senior Greg Wymer took the wind out of Saint Xavier’s sails by crushing a grand slam to left field, putting Saint Ambrose up 7-3 with nine outs remaining in the game for the Cougars.
After back to back hit-by-pitches in the bottom half, Saint Xavier constructed a rally to get them right back in the contest. Eggert doubled to drive in two, and junior Tom Hayes followed it up with an RBI double of his own, which cut the Bees’ lead to just one.
The very next inning, Saint Xavier regained the lead after a clutch double that drove in two runs by freshman shortstop Mark Martin. The Cougars took an 8-7 lead into the ninth inning. Saint Ambrose refused to go down quietly.
With their backs against the wall, a one-out sacrifice fly scored the tying run and subsequently sent this game into extra innings. Saint Xavier worked around an error in the top of the 10th inning, and looked to win the wild one in the bottom half.
Pellack began the inning with a walk and Bright reached on a throwing error by the Saint Ambrose pitcher. Pellack advanced to third on the errant throw and the Bees opted to load the bases with nobody out to put the force at any base in order.
From third base, Ryan Pellack got a great jump and scored the game-winning run after a wild pitch got away from the Saint Ambrose catcher. Saint Xavier prevailed to a thrilling 9-8 walk-off victory. Pellack, Eggert, Polak, Hayes and Martin each tallied RBIs in the contest. Eggert got the win in 3 2/3 innings of work. Hebel had a valiant performance, working through 6 1/3 innings.
The Cougars sit at 12-16 overall, and continue to fight in the CCAC with a 5-6 record. Their conference play continues with games against Purdue University-North Central and Robert Morris University in the coming week.
Mike Rankin
Sports Contributor
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