Site: Livonia, Mich. - Ilitch Ballpark
Score: Madonna 21, St. Francis 16; Madonna 8, St. Francis 7
Records: Madonna (17-2); Berea (6-10)
Next MU Event: Friday at College of the Ozarks, 12pm
GAME ONE BOX SCORE| GAME TWO BOX SCORE
 

LIVONIA, Mich. - - The No. 18 Madonna University baseball team swept a wild double header with the University of St. Francis on Tuesday at Ilitch Ballpark, winning game one 21-16 and taking the night cap 8-7 in walk off fashion.

The wins improve MU to 17-2 on the year while USF falls to 6-10.

GAME ONE
Game one of the day was a back and forth battle through out. USF started the scoring barrage with three runs in the top of the second off of MU starter Trent Pohl (Grand Ledge, Mich.) to stake itself to a 3-0 lead.

Madonna answered back in its half of the frame, plating three runs of its own to knot the game at 3-3. Kevin Zerbo (Farmington, Mich.) started the inning with a double and came home on Matt Kay's (Canton, Mich.) home run to right center to trim the deficit to just a run at 3-2. Zach Flavin (Novi, Mich.) reached on a walk and after moving up on a Scott Boyer (Flat Rock, Mich.) fly ball, came home on Shawn Little's (Canton, Mich.) sacrifice to center to make it 3-3,

Zerbo gave Madonna a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth, blasting his fifth home run of the season, this one into the trees behind the left field wall to put the home side up one.

That lead was short lived as USF answered back - in what became a recurring theme this day - with four runs in the top of the fourth inning to go in front 7-4.

The Crusaders cut into the Cougars' lead, plating a single run in the bottom of the fourth when pinch hitter Drew Fry (Madison Heights, Mich.) hit a long fly ball to right that was tracked down in foul territory but allowed Flavin to tag up at third and score to make it 7-5.

USF made it 8-5 in the top of the fifth before MU answered back with six runs in the bottom of the inning to go in front 11-8. Mike Gansser (Lake in the Hills, Ill.) led off with a triple to right center and came home on an Aaron Hacias (Sterling Heights, Mich.) sac fly to make it 8-6. Zerbo then doubled and following a walk to Kay, a wild pitch allowed both runners to move up. Zerbo scored on a Flavin sac fly to push run seven across the plate. Runs eight and nine came compliments of Boyer's opposite field home run that scored Kay to make it 9-8 in favor of Madonna.

Little followed that up with a single through the left side and came around on a Tarik Khasawneh (Canton, Mich.) double off the wall in left center to make it 10-8. A Ryan Morrow (Taylor, Mich.) triple down the right field line scored Ted Toune (DeWitt, Mich.) who was running for Khasawneh to increase the Madonna lead to 11-8 after five complete.

The Cougars answered the Crusader attack with a seven run display of their own in the sixth to reclaim the lead at 15-11.

MU took the lead back for good in the bottom of the sixth, scoring 10 runs to go in front 21-15. The first 10 Crusaders reached base in the inning, with the first nine getting on via base hits. Zerbo singled down the line in left and was run for by Adam Bailey (Taylor, Mich.). Kay followed with a double that moved Bailey to third. A Flavin single scored Bailey to make it 15-12. Boyer then tied the game with his second homer of the game, this one a line drive to right that brought the two teams back to even at 15-15.

Little followed Boyer's long ball with a homer of his own to make it 16-15 in favor of MU. Khasawneh doubled off the wall in center and Toune - again running for Khasawneh - scored on a Morrow single to make it 17-15. Gansser brought Morrow home on a single (18-15), while Hacias' home run to right center plated Gansser (20-15). Zerbo reached on a walk and after moving up to second on a wild pitch and then to third on a Flavin ground out, scored on a Boyer single to make it 21-15.

USF posted a run off of reliever Jeff Mann (Waterford, Mich.) in the seventh, but the junior righty closed the door, getting the final Cougar to go down looking on strikes for his second win of the season.

Mann threw an inning and two-thirds, striking out three to improve to 2-0. Zerbo was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, scoring four times while driving in a run. Boyer drove in six runs, going 4-for-5 while Gansser, Khasawneh, Little and Morrow each posted two hits in the win.

GAME TWO
Game two was 5-0 in favor of USF after just two innings as the Cougars got to starter Robert Fraser (Westland, Mich.) for three runs in the first and two more in the second to take the early lead.

The Crusaders bats came back to life in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three times to trim the deficit to two at 5-3. Kay got the offense started with a one-out home run to center to make it 5-1. Flavin walked and was run for by Fry. A Boyer double scored Fry to make it 5-2. Toune's two-out single brought Boyer home to bring MU back to with-in two at 5-3.

The Cougars answered back again, scoring runs in the fifth and sixth to go back in front by four at 7-3.

The day of comebacks continued in the sixth as the Crusaders plated three runs in the inning to pull to with in a run at 7-6. Toune hit is first homer of the season, a solo shot with one out to make it 7-4. Morrow reached on a bunt single and moved to second when Gansser reached on an error to put runners at first and second. After a fly ball retired Hacias, Zerbo drew a walk to bring Kay to the plate. The sophomore right fielder singled through the right side to score Morrow and Gansser to bring MU back to with in a run at 7-6 heading into the seventh.

Reliever Jeff Sonnenberg (Holt, Mich.) came in for the seventh and after getting the lead off hitter to ground out, two errors by the MU infield put runners at first and second. A sac bunt moved the runners to second and third but Sonnenberg took care of the final out himself, getting pinch hitter Tony Drysdale to strike out to end the threat and allow the Crusader bats another chance.

Boyer led off the inning with a double down the right field line and came home on Little's double to right center to make it 7-7. Toune laid down a bunt single to move Little to third. Morrow then stepped to the plate and hit a roller to short and the throw was wide to the plate, allowing Little to score to complete the sweep for MU with the 8-7 win.

Sonnenberg picked up the win, improving to 4-1 on the season. Toune went 3-for-4 with two RBIs while Boyer and Kay each collected two hits, with Kay hitting his fifth homer of the season.

MU will return to action on Friday, playing a split double header with the College of the Ozarks and Missouri Baptist in Point Lookout, Mo. The Crusaders will play the same schedule on Saturday before completing the weekend with a single game on Sunday against Ozarks.

POST GAME NOTES
The win was the fifth straight home opener win for MU, dating back to the 2005 season … The 27 Crusader runs in game one are the most since a 23-2 win over Rochester College in 2007 … Scott Boyer's six RBIs in game one set a new career high for a single game … MU's 21 runs and 21 hits are both season highs … Crusader hitters struck out just once in game one, tying the season best set against Notre Dame (3/4) …