[Stardust]

No. 3 St. Xavier rode the strong pitching of Sam Melchior to a 4-0 victory over Mercer County in the Kentucky National Insurance/KHSAA State Baseball Tournament at Whitaker Bank Ballpark on Monday afternoon.
Melchior, a junior righthander, went the full seven innings, gave up one hit, struck out eight and walked none in improving his record to 9-1.
Mercer County pitcher J.T. Long blanked St. X through five innings, but the Tigers got to him in the sixth. After Austin Clemons drew a lead-off walk, Andrew Willinger blasted a two-run homer to left to give St. X a 2-0 lead.
The Tigers weren’t finished. After Joshua Osborne singled, pinch-hitter Gunnar Wagoner put down a sacrifice bunt. Mercer County wound up throwning the ball into right field, and Osborne scampered home to make it 3-0. Wagoner eventually scored on a squeeze bunt by Zach Montgomery.
St. X (30-11) advances to Wednesday’s quarterfinals.
Mercer County (23-13), state runner-up last year, got its only hit from Jon Banks, a single in the third inning.


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