DAYTON – Senior Nolan Watson hit a clutch go-ahead home run to lift the University of Dayton baseball team over Atlantic 10 leader Saint Louis University, 2-1 on Sunday, April 23, at Woerner Field at AES Ohio Stadium.

With the score tied 1-1 in the home half of the eighth inning, Watson launched his seventh home run of the campaign to put the Flyers ahead for good.

The Flyers and Billikens locked in a pitcher's duel from the game's outset, trading early runs. UD opened the scoring with a run in the first by senior Ben Jones, and SLU responded with a run of its own in the third inning.

Both teams had multiple scoring opportunities throughout the contest, but neither was able to get the big hit until Watson's late-inning heroics.

Dayton's starter Parker Bard threw into the seventh inning, allowing just one run while scattering five hits and striking out eight. Reliever Luke Baker threw 1.2 scoreless innings, striking out a pair, and senior Andrew Zapka slammed the door in the ninth for his third save of the season.

BY THE NUMBERS
10 – amount of times Keagan Calero reached base this weekend (5H, 3BB, 2HBP)
10 – strikeouts by FlyBoy pitching on the day
8 - strikeouts for starter Parker Bard, a season-best
6.1 – innings pitched by Bard, a new career high

UP NEXT
The FlyBoys return to the friendly confines of Woerner Field at AES Ohio Stadium on Tuesday, April 25, playing host to the University of Toledo. The first pitch is slated to start at 3 p.m. 

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