NEW ORLEANS, La. — The University of the Southwest Mustangs closed out their three-game road series at Xavier (La.) with a dominant offensive performance on Sunday, earning a split over two days at Skelly‑Rupp Stadium.

Game 1: Xavier (La.) 5, Southwest 4

Saturday's contest saw Southwest battle throughout but fall just short in a one-run setback.

The Mustangs jumped out to an early lead and stayed within striking distance behind a solo homer from Alesandro Morrison. Miguel Olivas gave Southwest a solid six-inning start on the mound, but a big Xavier inning proved to be the difference as the Mustangs were unable to capitalize on late opportunities.

Game 2: Southwest 9, Xavier (La.) 7

The Mustangs took game two of the doubleheader  with a thrilling comeback win, overcoming multiple deficits to secure a 9–7 victory.

Southwest struck first in the opening inning on an RBI single from Alesandro Morrison, then answered Xavier's offense with a three-run third inning highlighted by Izeyah Manzaneras' two-run single. After Xavier regained the lead in the middle innings, the Mustangs surged ahead for good in the seventh.

With the game tied, Vyncent Chavez drove in two runs on a fielder's choice before Jadon Trujillo delivered the decisive blow, launching a two-run home run to give Southwest an 8–7 advantage. The Mustangs added an insurance run in the ninth on Tim Sedillo's RBI single to seal the win.

Game 3: Southwest 12, Xavier (La.) 2 (7 Innings)

Southwest finished the series in emphatic fashion, erupting for a 12–2 win in Sunday's finale.

The Mustangs broke the game wide open with a 10-run second inning, sending 13 batters to the plate. Carlos Jaquez drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk, Tim Sedillo singled home two runs, and Alex Montiel capped the rally with a bases-clearing triple.

Southwest added to the lead in the third when Santiago Garcia crushed a two-run home run. On the mound, Major Byrd was outstanding, throwing a complete-game effort and limiting Xavier to two runs while guiding the Mustangs to a decisive victory.

Head Coach Steve Appel
"We found a way to secure the series win however we just didn't play complete baseball. It was better in game three but still not complete as we had a couple big errors that just kept them in the game and we just went flat offensively after a couple good key offensive innings where we executed the little things and had really good quality at bats.
Going in to the last weekend at home we are going to focus on all those little things despite how our year has gone. It's still extremely important to me and I believe in order to make any push in the playoffs we have to be a really good unselfish team. Hopefully these guys can play a good brand of baseball during our last home stand of the year."

Series Notes

Southwest totaled 30 runs across the three games, highlighting the lineup's depth and timely execution. The Mustangs will look to build on Sunday's momentum as they head into the final games of conference play.

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