CINCINNATI – Xavier scored 11 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to secure a 16-6 win over Butler on Sunday afternoon.
AJ Poynter and
Robbie McCargar each homered for the Bulldogs in the seventh inning to highlight the day for BU.
The game got underway with Xavier scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning. The 'Dawgs got one run back in the top of the second on an RBI single from
Freddie Matos that scored
Duncan Hewitt.
The difference in this one came in the fourth inning. BU got a double from
Matt McElwain that gave the Bulldogs two runners in scoring position with two outs. Matos broke for home to tie the game on an at-bat with McGrath at the dish. The Xavier third baseman fielded the ball clean, and got the third out of the inning at home with the tag on Matos.
The home team kept their lead intact during the top half of the inning and put the game out of reach in the bottom. Franzoni led off the order with a homer to left and the Musketeers would push forward to score 11 runs off five hits in the inning. BU walked six batters during that stretch and allowed four extra base hits.
Butler's best inning of baseball came in the seventh inning after a pitching change. Poynter hit a one-out home run down the line in left to open up the scoring.
Jacob Margroff then entered the game as a pinch hitter and would get to first base off four balls. BU Head Coach
Dave Schrage pinch hit
Robbie McCargar after the base on balls and the junior delivered with his team-best fourth home run of the 2021 campaign.
Dan Harwood and Matos would both be involved in the inning for BU with RBI doubles. Each ball found room in left center field. Harwood sent Gray home and he would then come around to score himself off the Matos two-bagger. The 14-6 lead would grow to the 16-6 final with Xavier scoring one run in each the seventh and eighth innings.
Alex Voss got the start on the mound for Butler and would throw two full innings before being replaced on the rubber by
Jon Vore. The loss would go to
Joe Graziano (0-2), the third BU arm of the game. Butler would send four more student-athletes to the mound before the end of the day. None of those players recorded more than five outs.
Butler's first BIG EAST home series will feature the Villanova Wildcats playing four games at Bulldog Park. Game one on Friday will get underway at 4 PM. Both the Saturday doubleheader and the finale on Sunday will start at 4 PM.
