Location: Livonia, Mich. (Ilitch Ballpark)
Scores: No. 12 Madonna 3, Concordia 1 | No. 12 Madonna 5, Concordia 1
Records: Madonna 33-6; 12-4 WHAC | Concordia 18-25; 4-12 WHAC
Next MU event: Friday, April 24 at Aquinas, 1pm
Box Score - GAME ONE| GAME TWO
 
LIVONIA, Mich. - - The No. 12-ranked Madonna University baseball team used a pair of solid performances on the mound from junior righty Jeff Mann (Waterford, Mich.) and freshman left hander Tom Hansen (Rochester Hills, Mich.) to sweep Concordia by finals of 3-1 and 5-1 on Sunday (April 19) at Ilitch Ballpark.

Mann threw five and two-thirds innings in his first start of the season to earn his third win of the year win in game one. Freshman right hander Brian Diroff (Allen Park, Mich.) came in and closed the game for Mann, throwing an inning and a third to earn his first career save.

Hansen rebounded after a pair of shaky starts in his last two outings to allow just one run while scattering six hits in a complete game effort to improve to 7-1 on the season.

Junior designated hitter Drew Fry (Madison Heights, Mich.) drove in three runs in the night cap while sophomore shortstop Mike Gansser (Lake in the Hills, Ill.) drove in a pair in the day's opener.

The Crusaders opened game one by scoring a pair of runs to go in front 2-0 after just an inning. Senior second baseman Ryan Morrow (Taylor, Mich.) led off with a walk and moved to second when a ball off of sophomore center fielder Shawn Little's (Canton, Mich.) bat was misplayed. A walk to senior first baseman Kevin Zerbo (Farmington, Mich.) moved both runners up and loaded the bases for senior designated hitter Scott Boyer (Flat Rock, Mich.) who also drew a walk to force in the game's first run. Gansser then hit a fly ball to center that was deep enough to score Little and make it 2-0 MU.

The Madonna lead grew to three in the second when Morrow scored junior left fielder Ted Toune (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) on a sacrifice fly after Toune walked and had advanced to third on a single by sophomore catcher Tarik Khasawneh (Canton, Mich.) to make it 3-0.

Mann out of a jam in the fourth but could not escape in the sixth, allowing a run before giving way to Diroff. The freshman allowed a double in the seventh but sent down the next three hitters in order for the save.

MU opened game two by scoring a pair of runs in the first to go on top and the Crusaders would not relinquish the lead, winning 5-1. Morrow led off with a double and after moving to third on a passed ball, scored on a single from senior third baseman Aaron Hacias (Sterling Heights, Mich.) to make it 1-0. Hacias moved to third on a double from Zerbo and came home on a sacrifice fly from Fry to make it 2-0.

Concordia pulled to with in one in the second after a lead off home run from Zach Johnston but Hansen settled in from there and did not allow another run the rest of the way.

The Crusaders tacked on two more runs in the third as Little roped a one-out single and then stole second. Hacias drew a walk and both runners moved up on a ground out. Fry plated both runners when he beat out a single to the right side of the infield to make it 4-1.

Run five went on the board in the fifth when Morrow led off with a single and after stealing second, would come home on a Little single for the final margin of victory at 5-1.

The Crusaders take most of this week off for final exams and swing into the final weekend of conference play starting Friday in a 1pm double header at Aquinas.