Xavier survived a hitting onslaught by Prairie by playing solid defense and taking advantage of the Hawks' leaky fielding to post a Mississippi Valley Conference baseball sweep, 6-4 and 6-5, Friday night.

The Saints (7-2, 3-1) played the kind of ball that would have brought a smile to the late Ken Charipar, for whom the Saints' playing field is named. Charipar, the highly successful Cedar Rapids American Legion coach, died in March. The Saints honored him Friday on Ken Charipar Night.

Charipar also would have had an appreciation for the way Prairie hit the ball. The Hawks had 27 hits in 14 innings, getting at least one hit in every inning except the last frame of the nightcap. But they stranded 19 baserunners.

“We had 27 hits and played well enough to win two,” said Hawk Coach Matt Thede.  “We had two innings that we had too many errors and we left too many guys on base, but from my point of view, we should have gotten two.”

“They had men on base all night,” said Xavier Coach Dave Schemmel. “They are a really good club, but we executed when we needed to and hung on to win.  I’m proud of the way the boys stuck in there tonight.”

In game one, Prairie (4-4, 2-2) got on the board in the second with an rbi single by Ty Mougin.  In the third, Xavier (5-2, 3-1) plated three unearned runs on three Prairie errors and a lone single by Kevin Hosch.  Mac Mattke added an rbi double in the fifth inning and rbi singles by Colby Brecht and Corbin Woods in the sixth stretched the lead to 6-1. Woods is Charipar's grandson.

In the top of the seventh, Anthony Gagliardi hit a three-run home run, but it was not enough. Dane Mehring picked up the win for the Saints, scattering 13 hits in six innings. Mattke got the save.

Blake Helms and Hosch each had two hits to lead Xavier. Brennan Hammer had three for the Hawks.

In game two, Prairie got on the board in the first on a two-run homer by DJ Utley and that stood up until the fifth inning, when Xavier put together four hits, two Prairie errors and a couple of wild pitches to score six times.

Prairie came back with three runs in the sixthinning, but the Saints held on to get the win behind outstanding relief work by Tyler Hines, who struck out two batters
to end the sixth and then struck out the side in the seventh.

Mattke got the win in relief of Woods and Hines recorded the save.  Woods and Mattke each collected two hits in the nightcap. Gagliardi, Utley, and Brayton Carlson each had three hits for the Hawks.

GAME 1

PRAIRIE (4)
Velvick, cf, 4 1 1 0, Hammer, dh, 4 1 3 0, Allard, rf, 0 0 0 0, Gagliardi, p, 4 1 2 3, Utley, 1b, 4 0 1 0, Boots, lf, 3 0 0 0, Whitters, ph, 1 0 0 0, D. Carlson, c, 3 0 1 0, Hilgencamp, cr, 0 1 0 0, B. Carlson, 2b, 3 0 2 0, Meyer, 3b, 3 0 1 0, Mougin, ss, 3 0 1 1.  Totals 32 4 13 3.

XAVIER (6)
Helms, ss, 4 1 2 0, Woods, 3b, 4 1 1 1, Mattke, 1b, 4 0 1 1, Hosch, cf, 3 0 2 0, Mehring, p, 3 0 0 0, Brown, 2b, 3 0 1 0, McNeal, lf, 3 0 0 0, Zenisek, rf, 2 2 1 0, Brecht, c, 3 0 1 0, Miller, cr, 0 2 0 0.  Totals 29 6 9 2

Prairie   010 000 3    -- 4
Xavier   003 012 X   -- 6

Gagliardi, Hammer (6), and D.Carlson.  Mehring, Mattke (7), and Brecht. W-Mehring. S-Mattke.  L-Gagliardi.
2B-Mattke. 3b- Zenisek. HR- Gagliardi.

GAME 2

PRAIRIE (5)
Velvick, cf, 4 1 2 0, Hammer, dh, 4 1 1 1, Steffens, p, 0 0 0 0, Gagliardi, rf, 4 2 3 1, Utley, 1b, 4 1 3 3, B. Carlson, 2b, 4 0 3 0, Alberts, 3b, 2 0 0 0, Whitters, ph,1 0 0 0, D. Carlson, c, 4 0 0 0, Joens, lf, 4 0 0 0, Mougin, ss, 4 0 2 0.  Totals  33 5 14 3.

XAVIER (6)
Helms, ss, 3 0 1 0, Woods, p, 4 1 2 0, Mattke, 1b, 3 1 2 1, Hines, p, 1 0 0 0, Hosch cf, 3 1 1 1, Brown, 2b, 3 0 0 0, Mehring, lf, 3 0 1 1, McNeal, 3b, 3 0 0 0, Zenisek, rf, 3 1 0 0, Brecht, c, 3 0 1 0, Miller, cr, 0 1 0 0.  Totals  29 6 8 0.

Prairie   200 003 0    -- 5
Xavier   000 060 X   -- 6

Steffens, Hammer (5) and D. Carlson.  Woods, Mattke (4), Hines (6), and Brecht.  W – Mattke. S-Hines.  L-Steffens
2B-B.Carlson, Velvick, Gagliardi.  HR- Utley