MASON, Ohio – Closing out the first day of the 2023 BIG EAST Baseball Championship Presented by Jeep No. 2 seed Xavier edged No. 3 seed Seton Hall, 6-5, in a back-and-forth affair Wednesday night at Prasco Park.

Fireworks erupted in center field on the first at bat when senior leadoff hitter Oscar Murray blasted a shot over the high-rising batter eye wall to give the Pirates an early 1-0 advantage.
 
After an allowed single on the second at-bat, Xavier graduate starting pitcher Brant Alazaus settled in on the mound forcing a fly out to right field, ahead of back-to-back strikeouts to close out the inning.
 
In the bottom of the first, Xavier graduate short stop Jack Housinger jumpstarted the Musketeers’ scoring attack with a double to deep right center, before graduate left fielder Andrew Walker collected a single to send Housinger home for the tying run off a fielding error.
 
Behind a scoreless second inning, Xavier took its first lead of the outing, once again off the bat of Walker. The short stop singled to left field to collect his second RBI of the contest, while Housinger rounded the bases for the second time.
 
The Pirates quickly evened the score in the top of the fourth after redshirt junior centerfielder Devin Hack reached base due to a fielding error. On the very next at bat, sophomore catcher Jedier Hernandez doubled down the right field line to send Hack home and tied the game at 2-2.
 
Xavier retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth, as Walker reached first base on a fielding choice to collect his third RBI of the outing, once again sending Housinger home for his third score of the game. After Walker stole second base, the left fielder scored his first run of the game to give the Musketeers a 4-2 advantage, off a single through second and third base off the bat of senior outfielder Tyler DeMartino.
 
Seton Hall cut into the deficit to 4-3 in the top of the sixth after junior short stop Max Viera tripled to left center field, before redshirt junior designated hitter Staus Pokrovsky collected an RBI on a fly out to send Viera home.
 
Scoreless through the top of the eighth inning, Walker and Housinger broke open the game in bottom of the eighth. Walker singled to right center to collect his fourth RBI, sending Housinger around the bases for the fourth time. The scored run came moments after sophomore outfielder Carter Hendrickson scored from third base on a passed ball. Overall, the Musketeers took a 6-3 lead they would not look back on.
 
The Musketeers will return to the field Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. ET in the BIG EAST semifinal against No. 1 seed Connecticut.
 
The Pirates will play the Hoyas in an elimination game at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday.

All games will stream live on the BIG EAST Digital Network available on FloSports.