NEW ORLEANS — Cohen Boyd and Hunter Wheaton led Xavier University of Louisiana to 8-7 and 3-1 victories Friday against Jarvis Christian in Red River Athletic Conference baseball.
        The first game went 11 innings.
        "It was a great day, a great night for XULA baseball," first-year Gold Rush head coach Xavier Paul said. "Our guys showed up big. They showed a lot of heart and a lot of grit."
        The Gold Rush (3-6 overall, 2-3 RRAC) and Bulldogs (0-2, 0-2) will meet at noon CST Saturday at Skelly-Rupp Stadium (2515 Vespasian Blvd., New Orleans LA 70114) to complete their three-game series.
        Boyd's two-RBI single during a three-run eighth inning tied the game at 7 — the opener had been scheduled for seven innings — then he singled home courtesy runner Kendall Larry, on base after Cam Finn's double, to win it in the 11rh.
        Finn had three hits in the opener, and Boyd had six RBIs, three on a pair of sacrifice flies. Larry scored four times.
        Alexander Arnold (1-1), the fourth and final XULA pitcher, earned the decision in the opener. Jarvis Christian's Alexis Bobyn doubled three times in that game and had two RBIs.
        The second game, by conference rule, was shortened to seven innings, and Wheaton (1-0) dominated. He allowed two hits and struck out 10 and became the first XULA pitcher this season to start and earn a victory.
        XULA scored all its second-game runs in the first inning. Kai Higginson doubled home Boyd and Miles Peterson, and Keshawn Wright singled home Higginson.
        The second-game losing pitcher was Alejandro Gonzalez Moreno, who was 2-0 against XULA in 2024.