NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Owls baseball team split day two with Xavier University at the Wesley Barrow Stadium Saturday afternoon. The W prevented the series sweep to take game one 5-4 but lost the second game of the day 5-1.

GAME ONE (5-4)
Luke Hobson (5-0) extends his winning streak on the mound, entering the game in relief in the fifth inning. The senior from Ripley, Miss., pitched 2.2 innings for three strikeouts and two walks with zero hits and zero runs.

Logan Suggs started the game on the mound, pitching 4.0 innings. The senior utility player pitched 4.0 innings for two strikeouts and three walks with three hits against and two earned runs.

Kyle Shepherd also made a mound appearance. The Gulfport, Miss. native pitched 0.1 innings for three walks, two hits against, and three earned runs.

At the plate, senior infielder Damain Benefield led the Owls offensive effort. The Ranburne, Ala., native went 3-for-3 with two RBIs. Trey Petite and Harper Hunter were credited with one RBI each.

The Owls started on top, scoring two runs in the first inning and two runs in the top of the second before XULA answered in the bottom of the inning with two runs of its own.

Both teams went scoreless in the third and fourth, but Xavier added two additional runs in the bottom of the fifth.

The Owls scored the winning run in the top of the sixth when Blake Estabrook came on a single by Harper.

GAME TWO (5-1)
Joel Estabrook (3-1) suffered his first loss on the mound in game two against Xavier. The Truckee, Calif., native pitched 4.0 innings for three strikeouts and five walks with eight hits against and five earned runs.

Dalton Cohea entered the game in the fifth for two strikeouts and four hits against.

At the plate, Blake Estabrook had the most success with a 2-for-3 appearance, and Trey Petite recorded the Owls only RBI.

The Owls will be back in action on Friday, April 16, when they host Southeastern Baptist College. The first pitch of the double header is set for 2 p.m.