This week, the Saint Xavier University baseball team won the CCAC (Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference) Championship, their first championship since the 2008-2009 season.
Saint Xavier started their week on April 24th, when they traveled to Davenport, Iowa to play the Saint Ambrose Bees twice. The Cougars entered the doubleheader with a 28-13 record, while the Bees entered the games with a 13-22 record.
In game one of the doubleheader, the Cougars sent out David Strom and he pitched an amazing game, allowing
no runs over seven innings of work. The SXU bats helped him out in the top of the third inning when third baseman Garrett Monahan hit an RBI double to deep center field, scoring two runs in the process.
Shortstop Mark Martin then hit an RBI single to score Monahan and put the Cougars up 3-0. Strom kept shutting down the Saint Ambrose bats until the top of the sixth, when SXU exploded at the plate again.
In that inning, the Cougars scored three more runs thanks to multiple errors from the Bees, expanding the SXU lead to 6-0. Strom prevented any attempts at a comeback from the Bees and the Cougars eventually won 6-0.
Later that day, the Cougars bats were at it again, scoring 10 runs in a winning effort against the Bees. Pitcher Jared Jones pitched a complete game and only allowed two runs, allowing the Cougars to win 10- 2. Saint Xavier left Davenport with a 30-13 record, while the Bees left with a 13-24 record.
Two days later, the Cougars travelled to Bourbonnais, Illinois to play the Olivet Nazarene Tigers. The Tigers entered the game with a 29-13-1 record.
The Tigers got off to a hot start in the bottom of the first inning when third baseman Nathan Moonen hit an RBI single to put the Tigers up 1-0.
Saint Xavier responded immediately in the top of the second with an offensive explosion. It started with SXU left fielder Griffin Bright hitting an RBI single to tie the game at one. The next batter, designated hitter Dustin Hunniford, hit another RBI single to put the Cougars up 2-1. Two more RBI singles then put the Cougars up 4-1.
Center fielder Max Downs was next to bat with the bases loaded. He absolutely unloaded on the ball, crushing a grand slam to put SXU up 8-1.
The Tigers responded by scoring a run in the bottom half of the inning, but SXU answered back in the top of the fourth with a sacrifice fly that kept the Cougars lead to seven. In the bottom of the fourth, Olivet Nazarene designated hitter Tyler Fisher hit a triple that cut the SXU lead to just five (9-4).
Both teams kept trading runs until the bottom of the ninth, when the Cougars were up 13-7. Saint Xavier sent out Anthony Chimera to close out the game and he did so successfully, giving the Cougars the 13-7 victory.
With the victory, the Cougars improved their record to 31-13 and won the CCAC Championship in the process.
Saint Xavier will participate in the CCAC Tournament from May 3rd to May 8th, but by virtue of winning the CCAC regular season championship, they are already guaranteed a place in the NAIA National Tournament.
The Cougars have had a successful year so far and one can only hope that their success continues into the postseason.
Chris Leonchik
Sports Editor