JOLIET, Ill.- The Indiana University South Bend Titans (24-24, 15-10 CCAC) fell to the Saint Xavier University Cougars (30-25, 17-10 CCAC) 4-2 in game one of the championship round of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament.
Saint Xavier scored the first two runs of Monday's contest in the bottom of the fourth inning when right fielder Daniel Barrios hit an infield single to get the Cougars on the board.
The Cougars got their second run of the fourth inning when third baseman Darren Zarrillo stole home to give Saint Xavier a 2-0 lead.
IU South Bend got on the board in the top of the sixth inning when third baseman
Logan Smith hit an RBI single to center field, scoring
Josiah Nelson and cutting the SXU lead to 2-1.
Later in the sixth, designated hitter
Kaleb Farnham hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring
Logan Smith and tying the game at 2-2.
Saint Xavier regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning when third baseman Darren Zarillo singled to second base to give the Cougars a 3-2 advantage.
The Cougars added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth when center fielder Collin Wolfe laid down a suicide squeeze that extended the SXU lead to 4-2.
The Titans were held scoreless in the top of the ninth and ultimately fell to Saint Xavier by a score of 4-2.
The Indiana University South Bend Titans return to action on Tuesday, May 9th, with a rematch against Saint Xavier at 8:00 PM ET. The winner of Tuesday's winner take all game will be crowned CCAC Tournament champions and punch their ticket to the NAIA National Baseball Tournament.
