Xavier eliminated from Big East Tournament, await possible at-large bid to NCAA Tournament

MASON, Ohio − Postseason baseball often times comes down to which team can deliver the timely, tide-turning hits in big moments.

On Friday night at Prasco Park, Georgetown and Xavier each turned in crucial knocks in an elimination game of the Big East Tournament, but the Hoyas delivered the knockout punch late to beat the Musketeers, 9-6.

For the first time since 2018, the Big East Tournament Championship will not include Xavier.

"At some point you run out of gas, and we did," Xavier head coach Billy O'Conner said. "They laid it on the line, invested everything they possibly had, and we just ran out of manpower. No regrets. Our guys left it all out on the field."

Georgetown strikes late

Tied 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Georgetown loaded the bases with two outs against a trio of Xavier relief pitchers. Second baseman Josh Rolling lifted a deep fly ball to center field that was just out of the reach of Xavier outfielder Aedan Anderson. The three-run triple proved to be the game-winner.

Rolling was the hero for the Hoyas, who reach the Big East Championship game for the first time in program history. One inning before the triple, Rolling's first hit of the Big East Tournament − a two-run, two-out single to left − gave Georgetown a 6-3 lead.

"We played hard. We put our hearts out on the line," senior Matt McCormick said. "I thought we played really well. They (Georgetown) just got timely hits when they needed it."

'We never give up.'

Xavier staged its own rally with its back against the wall after Georgetown scored five unanswered runs.

With six outs to play with, the Musketeers wasted no time finding a response in the top of the eighth inning when Jared Cushing singled to center and McCormick smacked a two-run, opposite-field homer after failing to get a sacrifice bunt down.

Two batters later, Luke Hammond, an Indian Hill High School product, launched the game-tying homer to left field, emphatically spiking his bat in celebration near the Muskies' dugout before trotting around the bases.

"It's just who we are. We're a bunch of grinders," McCormick said. "We like to call ourselves an Island of Rejects. We're a bunch of misfit toys. We never give up and we always fight no matter what happens."

Xavier struck first in the opening inning on Isaac Wachsmann's solo homer to left. The Musketeers took a 3-1 lead in the fourth on RBI walks from Grant Stephenson and Anderson.

Walks haunt Xavier's bullpen

Nursing a two-run lead heading into the sixth, Xavier's bullpen, which worked extensive innings in two games on Thursday, lost control of the zone and it came back to hurt the Muskies.

Three walks and a hit by pitch in the sixth inning allowed Georgetown to score two runs to tie it 3-3. One inning later, Big East Player of the Year Christian Ficca was plunked on an 0-2 pitch to lead off a three-run frame. Ficca was hit by a pitch again to begin the three-run eighth inning. The Hoyas' only hit that inning was Rolling's three-run triple.

Xavier pitching combined to allow 14 free passes with nine walks (two intentional) and five hit batsmen.

Alex Vera strong on the bump once again

Less than 48 hours after tossing five innings of two-run ball in the first round of the tournament against top-seeded UConn in just his second start of the season, Alex Vera was given the ball in a big moment once again Friday.

It was Vera's 33rd appearance of the season, a new single-season record for the Musketeers, and the Illinois transfer tamed a Georgetown offense that had combined for 19 runs and 25 hits over the first two games of the tournament. After yielding a first-inning run, Vera allowed just one hit over the next four scoreless innings before being pulled in the sixth.

Xavier plays waiting game for possible NCAA Tournament berth

Xavier's postgame huddle down the right-field line at Prasco Park Friday was filled with hope.

Xavier still has a chance at an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament. The Musketeers will find out if their season will continue during Monday's Selection Show.

Going into Friday, Xavier was No. 38 in the NCAA's RPI Rankings. Last season, the NCAA took the top-41 teams in the RPI to the dance.

"At some point there's gonna be a time for goodbyes, tears and hugs. I don't believe it's right now," O'Conner said. "I don't know where we stand exactly as an at-large candidate, but I know we've put together a great resume between the RPI, the Quad 1 wins and the strength of schedule. We deserve to keep playing.

"It's another step forward for the program that our season's not over when we lose in the conference tournament. We're gonna sit and watch the selection show on Monday and I think we're gonna see our name on the board."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Big East Tournament: Xavier Musketeers knocked out by Georgetown