Box Score
CINCINNATI – A gritty Xavier team overcame three deficits and scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning to earn a 9-8 victory over the Illinois State baseball team Friday afternoon at Hayden Field.
Illinois State led 5-0 after the second inning, but the Musketeers knotted it up at 5-5 after the fourth. The Redbirds reclaimed the lead twice more over the next two innings, only to see Xavier tie it up in the bottom half of the inning each time.
A sacrifice fly from Mitch Gallagher provided the game-winning run for the hosts in the bottom of the eighth.
Illinois State (5-14) started quickly with a two-run home run from Owen Miller. Bryce Grimm, who led off the game by drawing a walk, was on board for Miller's shot over the center field fence.
The Redbirds made it a 5-0 lead in the second inning. Illinois State loaded the bases with consecutive singles from John Rave, Joe Aeilts and Zach Barnhart. Grimm then plated the first run with an RBI groundout, just moments before Miller delivered a two-out, two-run single to center field.
Xavier (12-10) got three runs back in the third, thanks to an RBI double from Joe Gellenbeck, and run-scoring singles from Rylan Bannon and Nate Monastra. The Musketeers then tied it with two runs in the fourth, taking advantage of a passed ball and a Gallagher RBI groundout.
Illinois State pushed back ahead with a two-run homer from Collin Braithwaite in the top of the fifth, but Xavier tied it back up. Sam Flamini doubled in Bannon, who started the inning with a triple, before Nate Soria plated Flamini with an RBI groundout.
The Redbirds took another lead in the top of the sixth with an RBI single from Joe Butler, but the Musketeers tied it up yet again in the bottom of the inning, courtesy of an RBI groundout from Gellenbeck.
Xavier took its first lead of the game on a sacrifice fly from Gallagher, which proved to be the game-winning run.
Rave led the Redbirds with three hits and two runs scored, while Miller went 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Butler and Barnhart also tallied two hits apiece.
Redbird starter Matt Walker allowed five runs (four earned) over the first four innings. Trevor Cross allowed three runs over the next three innings. Mitch Vogrin was charged with one run over two-thirds of an inning. Jeffrey Barton recorded the final out in the eighth inning via strikeout.
The Redbirds return to action with a doubleheader against the Musketeers tomorrow at Hayden Field, beginning at 10 a.m. CT., an hour earlier than previously scheduled. Links for live stats are available at GoRedbirds.com, and fans can follow @RedbirdBaseball on Twitter for live updates and more.
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