St. Ambrose falls to Saint Xavier in CCAC Tournament
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
St. Ambrose | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
|
Saint Xavier | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | X | 7 | 9 | 2 |
St. Ambrose survived a pair of elimination games but couldn't get through a third. The Bees saw their season come to an end with a 7-2 loss to Saint Xavier in the CCAC Tournament Saturday.
The Cougars scored all the runs they would need in the bottom of the first inning, plating three runs. SXU (28-25) added single runs in both the third and fourth innings to go up 5-0.
The Bees got on the board in the top of the fifth without the benefit of a hit. Bryce Vincent reached on an error and Jake Mucha drew a walk before Chris McFarland bunted to move both runners into scoring position. Mike Pawyza walked to load the bases. Nate Villagomez drove in Vincent on a fielder's choice to cut the deficit to 5-1. But the Bees did no further damage, leaving a pair on base.
Saint Xavier added insurance runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to increase the lead to 7-1.
SAU fought until the end. In the ninth, Cooper Huckabone and Brock Webber had back-to-back hits and one out later, Mucha was hit by a pitch to load the bases. McFarland's ground out brought in Huckabone for a 7-2 score. Pawyza walked to load the bases but Villagomez grounded out to end the game.
St. Ambrose managed just five total hits, two coming off the bat of Huckabone. McCreary, Webber and Vincent also singled.
Four different Bees pitched in the season finale. Parker Ruth started and took the loss. Nick Hernandez, Conor O'Hara and Hunter Keim combined for 7 2/3 innings out of the bullpen.
SAU finished the year with a 25-25-1 record and a runner-up finish in the CCAC.