ORMOND BEACH, Fla. -- Travis Potchka went 4-for-4 and Bart Schnur pitched seven strong innings to help the University of Saint Francis to a 9-2 win in Game 1 of two against St. Xavier University on Thursday.

  Unfortunately, SXU scored four runs in the top of the seventh to steal a 7-6 verdict in Game 2.

  Now 4-10 with two games left in Florida, the Cougars broke a tie at 1 with seven runs in the top of the third in Game 1. Drew Linder led off the inning with a double and the next seven USF hitters reached base. Jon Saprosantos, Berto Nunez, Ben Dunlap, Potchka and Jake Trahin drove in runs for USF and giving Schnur all the insurance he needed to secure the win. Dunlap went 2-for-4 and Linder 2-for-3.

  Saporsantos delivered a key two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the sixth for USF and Jarrod Wehri added a run-scoring single to put the Cougars ahead 6-3 heading into the top of the seventh. SXU got its first two batters on against Chase Gaff, who pitched six strong innings with four strikeouts for USF, and USF coach Greg Roberts brought in Greg Kerro.

  "I didn't want to put my reliever in a real tough spot, and Greg didn't pitch bad, but they got a couple seeing-eye hits, just enough to win," Roberts said. "We did hit the ball better today and played better on defense, especially in the first game."

  Taylor Futterknecht and Dunlap also had RBI's in the second game.

  USF plays Grand View (IA) on Friday at 1 p.m. in a single nine-inning game.

  -- Go USF --