Best's RBI Single In 12th Leads GW Baseball To 8-7 Win Over Xavier

O'Brien Dominates In Relief, Beightol Hits Two Home Runs

Junior Jimmy Best provided the winning run with a RBI single in the 12th inning on Sunday afternoon.

May 15, 2011

CINCINNATI, OH- Sophomore Kenny O'Brien pitched five and one-third innings of shutout relief and junior Jimmy Best provided a game-winning RBI single in the top of the 12th inning to lead the George Washington baseball team to a 8-7 win over Xavier on Sunday afternoon at Hayden Field.

GW (17-35, 7-14 A-10) started the game with a lead off home run from freshman Owen Beightol to take a 1-0 lead. Xavier (27-24, 12-9 A-10) responded in the same fashion, with a lead off home run in the bottom of the first to tie the game 1-1.

In the top of the third freshman Brookes Townsend singled to right field to lead off the inning. Beightol then lofted a 2-1 pitch down the left-field line and over the fence for his second home run of the day. Beightol finished the day 3-for-5 with three RBIs.

Xavier tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the third and took 4-3 lead with a RBI single in the bottom of the fourth.

The Colonials rallied for four runs in the top of the seventh. It started when sophomore Tyler McCarthy led off with a single to left field and advanced to third following consecutive sacrifice bunts. After a Beightol walk, sophomore Kyle Gelling lined the first pitch he saw sharply to shortstop allowing McCarthy to score from third. Beightol was able to score from second base following a throwing error by the shortstop.

Senior Brendon Kelliher came to the plate next and launched his Atlantic 10 leading 15th home run of the season over the left field fence to give the Colonials a 7-4 lead.

Xavier rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh with three runs off of the Colonial bullpen. Kenny O'Brien entered the game with two outs and the bases loaded. He escaped the inherited jam with a clutch strikeout then went on to allow just four hits in the next five innings of shutout relief. He struck out two in earning his first career win.

Gelling led off the top of the 12th with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Stephen Oswald. After a Brett Bowers walk Gelling advanced to third on a wild pitch to set the stage for Best who provided the game winning hit, a RBI single to right field to put the Colonials ahead 8-7.

The Colonials will close their non-conference schedule on Tuesday afternoon when they host Towson at Barcroft Park at 4:00 pm. The game is being made up from a rainout in early April.

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