Wiese grand slam lifts Xavier baseball past Fox Valley Lutheran

AppletonSportsPage.com

APPLETON – Gavin Wiese hit a grand slam in the fifth inning to lift the Xavier baseball team to a 6-3 win over Fox Valley Lutheran in a battle of Bay Conference leaders Thursday at Don Hawkins Field.

Xavier completes the two-game series sweep of the Foxes, and improves to 9-7 overall and 8-1 in the Bay Conference to take a 1½-game lead over Seymour and a two-game advantage over FVL.

Quinn Comerford struck out nine without a walk in a complete-game effort for the Hawks.

FVL took a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Jack Schlueter in the second inning before Xavier pulled ahead 2-1 as Porter Meach had an RBI double in the bottom of the second, and Matt Potter singled home a run in the third.

Cooper Kobin had an RBI double and scored on an error in the fifth to give the Foxes a 3-2 lead, but it didn’t last long as Xavier rallied with two outs in the bottom of the frame.

Xavier loaded the bases on a walk, a Potter double and a hit batter before Wiese ripped a grand slam homer to left in what proved to be the game-winning hit.

FVL didn’t get a runner on base in the last two innings.

Xavier is back in action Friday at Wautoma, and Fox Valley Lutheran hosts Appleton East for a nonconference doubleheader on Saturday starting at 11 a.m.

Hawks 6, Foxes 3
Fox Valley Lutheran   010   020   0   –   3   4   1
Xavier   011   040   x   –   6   6   2
WP: Quinn Comerford. LP: Jack Schlueter.
SO: J. Schlueter (4 2/3 inn.) 4, Luke Heimerl (1 1/3 inn.) 1; Comerford 9. BB: J. Schlueter 4, Heimerl 0; Comerford 0.
Top hitters: FVL, J. Schlueter 2×3, 2B, RBI; Cooper Kobin 2B, RBI. X, Matt Potter 3×3, 2B, RBI; Gavin Wiese 2×4, HR, 4 RBI; Porter Meach 2B, RBI.
Records: Fox Valley Lutheran 10-7, 7-3 Bay Conference; Xavier 9-7, 8-1 Bay Conference.