On Tuesday night, SLU Baseball put together an offensive masterclass, trouncing the visiting Xavier University of Louisiana Gold Rush 22-5 at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field. The Lion’s wire-to-wire rout extended their win streak to three games.
Head Coach Bobby Barbier had nothing short of rave reviews for his squad’s prolific outing.
“I thought we gave good at-bats. Their first left-hander was pretty good. We did a good job of getting the pitchers to hit and drive the ball to the middle of the field. I think that’s good for our team to understand. I’m proud of our guys for having that good approach early in the game so we could strike out the lead pretty well,” Barbier said.
Coming into the matchup, the Lions were returning from Alabama with a series win against UAB. They kept up the momentum on Tuesday, Feb. 28, relentlessly lighting up the scoreboard and providing the home crowd with a rousing offensive showing.
Barbier sent out redshirt freshman pitcher Carson Robb for the start against the Gold Rush, and his excellent shoving set the tone early. In three innings of work, he tossed four strikeouts and one walk, surrendering only one run. Meanwhile, the Lions snagged a first-inning run off of infielder Shea Thomas’ RBI double.
The bottom of the second marked the beginning of SLU’s spectacular offensive barrage. Junior center fielder Bailyn Sorensen starred in the leading role during Tuesday’s evening performance, and on his first outing in the spotlight, he crushed a two-run homer to right center.
Senior outfielder Justin Williams and junior infielder TJ Salvaggio also launched a pair of homers in a second inning where the Lions scored 11 runs. Excellent all-around hitting and baserunning, coupled with the triplet of homers, fueled the Green and Gold’s onslaught.
SLU then put up five spots in both the third and fourth innings. Sorensen once again excelled under Alumni Field’s bright lights, demolishing a third-inning grand slam to left center. Overall, the Lions poured in 22 runs in just four innings.
While Xavier managed to score five runs during the game, the 17-point deficit was simply insurmountable. The night came to a merciful conclusion after the top of the seventh, as SLU celebrated its third straight win with the raucous Hammond faithful.
Barbier spoke glowingly of Sorensen’s magical performance following the win.
Coach Barbier said, “He’s special, he’s a really special athlete. Tonight he hit the grand slam, but he also caught really well. Hopefully, there’s more to come from him.”
Lions outfielder Christian Garcia commended his team’s camaraderie and patience on and off the field.
“[We] continue to go down that path, trusting one another…taking it one day at a time,” Garcia said.
Tune in on ESPN+ to watch the Lions continue the homestand with a clash against Mississippi Valley State tonight.
The game is currently underway at Alumni Field between the Lions and the Delta Devils.
As always, stay tuned to The Lion’s Roar for more coverage on SLU Baseball.
