MASON − Xavier baseball faces elimination from the Big East Tournament after a 17-6 loss to St. John’s in the second round of the double-elimination event at Prasco Park on Saturday, May 23.
Just one month ago at Hayden Field, St. John’s and Xavier squared off in a high-scoring series that saw the Red Storm win two out of three. The two teams combined to score 55 runs over three contests, with Xavier holding the scoring edge, 29-26.
With a spot in the Big East Tournament Championship on the line Saturday, the two teams once again dented the plate several times, combining for 23 runs and 29 hits, but the top-seeded Johnnies mashed early with 15 runs over a four-inning span.
Xavier held a 3-1 lead after a big third inning against St. John’s starting pitcher Evan Chaffee. The Musketeers loaded the bases after singles by Donovan Canterberry and Jorge Valdes and Josh Stonehouse’s hit by pitch. All three would end up scoring after a groundout by Jonathan Fritz and RBI singles from Luke Hammond and Tommy Townsend.
St. John’s responded with five runs in the third, highlighted by a go-ahead three-run homer by designed hitter Will Cowan with two outs. In the fourth, the Johnnies took advantage of a Xavier throwing error to score another to end the afternoon for Musketeers’ starter Ashton Chronister.
St. John’s added insurance on a two-run single by third baseman Jayden Raifstanger and Cowan’s two-run double.
Cowan finished 3-for-5 with a pair of homers and seven RBI. Raifstanger was 3-for-4 and knocked in five. Every member of the St. John’s starting lineup collected at least one hit and eight scored at least one run.
Chronister, who threw six innings of one-run ball in a no-decision against St. John’s last month, took just his third loss in 13 starts this season.
Chaffee, who lasted just two innings (five runs allowed) in his previous start vs. Xavier, pitched into the sixth inning and picked up his sixth victory of the year.
Xavier got two hits each from Hammond, Townsend, second baseman Tanner Thomas and Canterberry. Hammond launched a solo homer in the fifth inning and Thomas did the same in the eighth.
The Big East is projected to be a one-bid league to the NCAA Tournament with only the conference tournament champion moving on.
That means Xavier will play to extend its Big East Tournament title hopes and its season overall when it matches up with No. 4 seed Creighton at 6 p.m. Saturday.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Xavier falls to St. John’s, faces elimination from Big East Tournament
Reporting by Shelby Dermer, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
