By: Nikhil Jelaji

The Xavier Musketeers baseball team dropped the series finale to Charlotte 3-2 on April 20.

Both teams are at 8-4 in the Atlantic 10, while Xavier holds a 21-17 overall record. The first runs weren’t scored until the fifth inning.

The first four innings were a back-and-forth pitch battle between redshirt senior Tyler Koors and Charlotte’s Brock Hudgens. The Niners scored two runs in the fifth inning, scoring on RBI singles. The Musketeers answered back with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Senior Stephen Schottmer led off with a single and advanced to third, scoring on a sacrifice fly. Charlotte added a run in the eighth on a lead-off home run. Xavier responded after trailing 3-1, as redshirt senior Mark Elwell scored off of senior Patrick Paligraf ’s triple to deep left center.

Xavier came close to leveling the game when sophomore Joe Forney hit the ball to Charlotte’s shortstop. However, in the final inning, the Niners’ first baseman was able to tag Forney out to help Charlotte improve to a 24-16 record overall.

Xavier is currently in the middle of a seven-game home stand. The Musketeers lost to Bowling Green 9-0 yesterday at Hayden Field, and will face Rhode Island at home this weekend in a three-game series.