Cougars power through weekend sweep of Eutectics

ALTON, IL – It proved to be a tough weekend offensively for the Eutectics against the visiting St. Xavier Cougars out of the Chicago area. UHSP was held to four hits in each of the first two games on Friday, then on Sunday they managed seven hits in the first game of a doubleheader but lost 14-3. In the second game of the twin-bill Thomas Plizga was masterful as he was perfect through five and a seven-run seventh blew the contest open in an 11-2 SXU win.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

ST. XAVIER 14, UHSP 3

• Parker Violett opened the scoring with an RBI double in the second and then would score on a wild pitch to make it 2-0 after an inning and a half. UHSP would cut that lead in half with an unearned run in the home half of the frame to make it 2-1 after two complete.
• The Cougars would score ten runs in the third and fourth combined. They would score those ten runs on six hits, fueled by three Eutectic errors with all but one of those runs earned.
• John Simecek, Parker Violett and Ben Meier all went 2-for-3 for SXU with Meier driving in three and Violett plating two.
• In the fifth, Jackson Michko hit St. Xavier's first homerun of the season driving a two-run shot over the right-centerfield wall to make it 14-1.
• The Eutectics added a run in the sixth when Deklan Riggs hit into a double-play with the bases loaded to score Liam Macphie and another in the seventh when Jacob Grim was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
• Gannon Burns (2-0) gave up one unearned run on three hits while striking out four in picking up the win for the Cougars.
• Duncan Barker (0-2) took the loss and in 2.2IP allowed eight runs, seven earned on four hits. He would strike out one while walking four.
• UHSP used three other pitchers in relief of Barker: Wyatt Waters (1.1IP), Samuel Harding (2IP) and Pierce Love (1IP). The Eutectics staff combined to hit four batters and walk nine.
• St. Xavier went 6-for-15 with runners in scoring position. UHSP was 1-for-8.

ST. XAVIER 11, UHSP 2

• UHSP starter Tristan Calmes was effective early. A leadoff walk came around to score on a wild pitch in the second inning to give SXU a 1-0 lead. Calmes walked the first two in the third, but got himself out of trouble. He picked off the first man he walked and then Ben Meier tried to move up to second on a ball in the dirt. UHSP catcher Barrett Bressette fired to second and Brandon Gibbs continued to apply the tag to Meier as he overslid the bag as Meier was called out.
• Parker Violett drove in a pair in the fourth. After Calmes hit the first two it the frame, Violett plugged the gap in right center and made it a 3-0 Cougar lead. It gave Violett eight RBI's in the weekend series. Calmes would hit another in the inning, but got out of the jam with no further damage as he struck out Lucas Petersen to leave the bases loaded. That would be the end of the afternoon for Calmes (1-1) though as he went four innings allowing three runs on two hits. He walked four, hit three and struck out three.
• Thomas Plizga cruised through his first three innings of work as he sat down the first nine in a row while striking out six.
• Holden Campbell came on in the fifth and the meat of the SXU lineup immediately got to the right-hander. With one out, Aaron Orzech blooped a single to shallow center and John Simecek made it a 4-0 game with a triple to the gap in right-center to score Orzech. Campbell induced a groundout and a pop-up to strand Simecek at third.
• Plizga was perfect through five with eight strikeouts, but Sebastian Villegas led off the sixth with soft liner to center for a single to end Plizga's bid for a perfect game and no-hitter. Bressette followed with a walk and that was the end of the line for Plizga (1-1). After a bunt pop-up into a double play, Brandon Gibbs put UHSP on the board with a long homerun to left-center to make it 4-2.
• St. Xavier got some insurance as Simecek drove a two-run double to right-center to reclaim a four-run cushion at 6-2. It was Simecek's second and third RBI's of the game. Victor Zaragoza visited the other outfield gap to score two more, make it 8-2 and chase Holden Campbell from the hill. Campbell allowed five runs on six hits, walking one and fanning two in his two-and-a-third. Ryan O'Farrell rudely greeted the UHSP reliever John McGee with a two-run homer to left.
• Aaron Orzech was hit three times in the contest and four times in the two games on Sunday.
• John Simecek went 3-for-3 with three runs, three RBI and missed the cycle by a homerun. Victor Zaragoza also went 3-for-3 and drove in two with a pair of doubles.
• St. Xavier racked up 22 hits in the two games on Sunday with a dozen extra-base hits. In the series they had 37 hits, 14 extra-base hits.

NEXT UP:

The Eutectics (2-7) return to action next weekend when they play host to the Lincoln Blue Tigers (2-0) for a four-game series. Lincoln won their first two games to open the season with 12-4 and 8-1 wins over Harris-Stowe. They went 6-42 last year. The Blue Tigers and Eutectics play a Friday doubleheader that starts at 4:00p and a Saturday twin-bill that begins at 1:00p.