As of Monday, the Saint Xavier University Cougar baseball team had a record of 20-26 overall and 14-11 in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC).
The Cougars dropped both games of a doubleheader at Olivet Nazarene University before winning three of their last four.
The three wins came via a victory in their game against Purdue University Calumet and two wins in a three-game weekend series against Robert Morris University.
Onward to Victory
Last Thursday’s game against Purdue Calumet, which was played at Ferrell Field but was technically a Purdue Calumet home game, ended in a 5-1 Cougar win.
The senior leaders of the Cougar squad again had solid performances against the Peregrines.
Designated hitter Chris Klein went 3-for-5 with two RBIs hitting in the leadoff spot, while first baseman Thomas Keating, batting cleanup, added two more RBIs in his 2-for-5 showing. Each also scored a run of his own.
Keating got the scoring started with a double down the left field line in the third inning that scored sophomore shortstop Alec Barnhart, who scored two runs.
First-year right fielder Bryan Polak drove in the other run that inning, which gave the Cougars a 2-0 lead.
Klein added a run in the top of the fourth on a solo home run to left field. It was Klein’s second of the year, moving him into fourth place on the team behind Barnhart (four) and Polak and Keating (three).
Klein then singled home a run in the sixth before Keating ended the scoring with an RBI single in the eighth.
SXU’s 14-11 CCAC Record One Gam Better than RMUKlein pitched the first game of the doubleheader at Robert Morris on Saturday and earned his fourth win of the season. He went all seven innings, giving up two runs on six hits while striking out nine.
He also showed up at the plate. He was 3-for-4 with an RBI on a fourth-inning double.
Keating again had a masterful performance at the dish. He was a perfect 4-for-4 with a run scored.
Barnhart and senior left fielder Brad Myjak found success against RMU pitching as well. Barhnart was 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Myjak was 1-for-3, but he added two RBI on a first-inning single and drove in another run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.
After dropping the second game of the doubleheader, the Cougars hosted the Eagles on Sunday and won the game 1-0.
Senior pitcher Scott Vachon won the pitcher’s duel with a complete-game shutout, spreading out the seven hits he gave up while striking out six batters.
The Cougars’ lone run came on a double. As first-year catcher Ryan Pellack took second base, Polak swiped home. The manufactured run proved enough for Vachon’s outing.
Cougars Remain in Second
Despite the doubleheader sweep at the hands of Olivet Nazrene and one loss to Robert Morris, Saint Xavier still holds second place in the north division of the CCAC.
Robert Morris, which holds a better overall record at 28-18, is hot on the heels of Saint Xavier. They are just one game back in the division, and neither team has a chance to catch first-ranked Judson University, which holds a six-game lead on Saint Xavier.
The Cougars had a chance in each of their games against Olivet. The Tigers clipped the Cougars by one run in each contest, winning 4-3 and 5-4.
The game Saint Xavier lost to Robert Morris was not nearly as close. The Eagles ran away with game two of the doubleheader by a final score of 10-0 (in seven innings).
Cougar pitching combined to surrender 16 hits and four walks to the Eagles in just 6 2/3 innings of work.
Tim Carroll
Senior Sports Editor