Brad McElroy had five RBI, including the tying and game-winning runs Friday |
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Niners Score Ten Unanswered Runs to Beat Xavier 12-7 in 11 Innings
May 4, 2007
Cincinnati, Ohio - Brad McElroy drove in five runs, including the tying runs in the ninth, and the game-winning run in the 11th as No. 25 Charlotte scored 10 unanswered runs to defeat Xavier 12-7 in 11 innings Friday at Hayden Field in Cincinnati in Atlantic 10 baseball action. It was Charlotte's first win when trailing after eight innings this season and the second home loss for the Musketeers this season, both to the Niners in the past two games. The win keeps Charlotte in first place in the A-10, at 17-3 in league play, and 37-9 overall. Xavier falls to 21-26, 12-8 in league play. Xavier could fall into a tie of third place in the A-10 depending on other league action Friday.
Catcher Kris Rochelle was one hit away from tying the school record of six in a game. He finished the day 5-for-5, scoring the go-ahead run in the top of the final inning.
The Niners got on the board in the first inning, scoring a pair of runs. Aaron Bray, playing his first game in the leadoff spot this season, singled to start the game and Shayne Moody walked. Rochelle then hit an RBI single through the left side of the infield and McElroy hit the first of two doubles to score Moody as Charlotte went up 2-0.
That score held until the fourth, when Xavier blasted a pair of home runs to take a 3-2 lead. The Musketeers then scored a run in the fifth and three more in the sixth to go up 7-2.
Charlotte started its comeback in the seventh with two outs. Bray walked and Moody singled, while hit an infield single that Bray scored on after an error. McElroy hit the second double to score Moody to get Charlotte to 7-4.
In the eighth, Cory Lane scored on an RBI single down the right field line by Bray and Charlotte inched to 7-5.
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Rochelle led off the ninth with a single against Xavier closer Zac Richard and McElroy blasted a homer off the facing of the sports complex beyond the right field fence to tie the game. It was his second homer of the series and team-leading ninth of the season.
Neither team could score in the tenth, but Rochelle hit a leadoff double in the eleventh, allowing McElroy to score Rochelle from second with a single up the middle. Charlotte would not stop the hit barrage as designated hitter Chris Taylor homered, also off the complex, to make it 10-7 Niners. Three more hits and a sacrifice fly later, Charlotte had five in the eleventh to put up the final margin of victory.
Bryan Hamilton came on to pitch the eighth and finished the game to earn the win (5-1). He tossed 3.2 innings of scoreless baseball, allowing two hits and three walks in the victory. Starter Spencer Steedley was lifted after 4.2 innings, allowing four runs for his second straight no-decision.
Richard took the loss for Xavier (4-4). In two innings of work, he gave up four earned runs on five hits.
McElroy finished 4-for-5 with a pair of runs, while Bray was 3-for-5, with a pair of runs and RBI. After coming in to pinch hit and stay in as right fielder, sophomore Alan Parks was 3-for-3 on the day, with an RBI double and two singles in the final four innings. The 20 total hits by the Niners is the second-most this season (24, Radford).
Charlotte has won all seven Atlantic 10 series, with one game left on Saturday against Xavier. First pitch is scheduled for 12 noon as Zach Rosenbaum starts against Michael Lucas for game three.
