In a difficult early season for Saint Xavier baseball, the Cougars split a double-header with Davenport University on Saturday.
The first game had to be pushed back to wait for higher mercury readings, and the Cougars lost the first game 4-2 before picking up a 4-3 win in game two.
Since the end of the Florida trip on March 15, three of five games have been postponed, including the next scheduled game on Friday at Judson University.
Despite the weather and the early 5-13 record, some Cougars are still having strong senior seasons.
The Win
Dual threat senior Chris Klein pitched the second game and earned his first win of the season. He pitched all seven innings and gave up nine hits, two walks and struck out five while giving up three runs.
At the plate, he went 3-for-4 and drove in a run in the second game. His third-inning, one-out triple to right field scored first-year shortstop Jeremy Dryier.
Klein is leading the team with a .392 batting average and a .492 on-base percentage. He also has a 1-1 record in four starts with a respectable 3.16 ERA and a .284 batting average against in 25.2 innings.
Klein’s senior teammate, first baseman Thomas Keating, has also had a strong start to the 2014 season. He drove in the second run with a single through the middle to knock in sophomore Alika Andres, who pinch ran for Klein.
Keating has a .310 season batting average but is not drawing as many walks as Klein, which has resulted in a .354 on-base percentage.
The Cougars scored another run in the fourth inning when junior third baseman Bryan Villanova scored on an opposite-field single from second baseman Tyler Gaynor.
Klein kept the Davenport Panthers off the board until their half of the fourth inning when they were able to push across two runs. They also scored another in the bottom of the fifth.
But the Cougars put the Panthers away for good with a strong top of the seventh inning. It started with a single by sophomore center fielder Jim Augle.
Klein singled Augle over to second base before Keating grounded out to move both runners along.
Following an intentional walk of senior left fielder Brad Myjak, freshman right fielder Bryan Polak grounded into a fielder’s choice to drive in what would prove to be the winning run.
The Loss
The Cougars got another strong pitching performance in the first game, though it did not lead to a win.
Senior pitcher Scott Vachon went the distance against Davenport. He dealt six innings while giving up six hits and four walks that resulted in four runs (three earned).
Vachon gave up only one hit through the first three innings before running into trouble in the third. He gave up three runs in that frame and one in the sixth.
Davenport starter Jordan Anderson was just a little better, giving up only two runs (one earned) against the Cougars on four hits and five walks while striking out 12 Cougars.
The first two innings looked promising for the Cougars, beginning with a two-out rally in the top of the first ignited by—guess who—Klein and Keating.
Klein drew a full-count walk before Keating singled through the left side. Keeping the senior (and k-in-the-name) connection going, Myjak singled to right to score Klein.
The Cougars got the second inning off with a bang with a one-out error charged to Anderson that allowed junior second baseman Damon Softcheck to reach safely and advance to second base. After a sacrifice bunt moved him over, another fielding error scored Softcheck.
Anderson struck out the side in both the third and fourth innings, and after that the Cougars fell flat. They managed no more than one hit in any of the final five innings.
Cooperative Weather, Please
The Cougars have a double-header against Judson to be played in Jacksonville, Ill., on Saturday. They hope to make up the postponed Friday Judson game on Sunday in the same location.
For the foreseeable future, scheduled games can only be considered tentative.
If the weather cooperates, the Cougars will host a double-header against the University of Saint Francis (Ill.) on Tuesday. The first game will begin at 1:30 p.m.
Tim Carroll
Senior Sports Editor
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