Location: Livonia, Mich. (Ilitch Ballpark)
Scores: Aquinas 9, Madonna 8 (9 inn.) | Madonna 10, Aquinas 3 (5 inn.)
Records: Madonna: 35-8; 14-6 WHAC | Aquinas: 24-18, 12-8 WHAC
Next MU Event: Tuesday, April 28 vs. Spring Arbor (Ilitch Ballpark) - 4:30pm
Box Score -
GAME ONE|
GAME TWO
LIVONIA, Mich. - - The No. 13-ranked Madonna University baseball team wrapped up its fourth Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference championship in five seasons on Saturday (April 25) with a 10-3 win in the night cap of a double header against Aquinas. AQ took game one 9-8 in nine innings.
The victory locks in the top seed for the Crusaders in next week's WHAC championship that will be held in Livonia for the second straight season.
Junior right hander Keegan Beaton (Wales, Mich.) picked up the win in game two, throwing five innings, including one after an hour and 10 minute rain delay to move to 2-0 on the year. Sophomore center fielder Shawn Little (Canton, Mich.), junior designated hitter Zach Flavin and sophomore catcher Tarik Khasawneh(Canton, Mich.) each drove in two runs in the win, while sophomore right fielder Matt Kay (Canton, Mich.) hit his ninth home run of the season.
Sophomore righty Trent Pohl (Grand Ledge, Mich.) suffered the hard luck loss in the opener, going two and two-thirds innings, striking out two while allowing a run in the top of the ninth to fall to 2-3 on the year. Senior Ryan Morrow (Taylor, Mich.) hit his first career homer, a three-run shot to right that tied the game at five, while senior first baseman Kevin Zerbo (Farmington, Mich.) and Kay also hit home runs in the set back.
AQ was up 4-0 after the top of the fourth before MU pushed two runs across in the bottom of the inning as Little led off with a double and moved up on a long fly ball by Zerbo. Kay scored his classmate, cranking the first pitch he saw over the wall in right center to make it 4-2.
After the Saints got a run back in the fifth to pull in front by three at 5-2, the Crusaders put up six in the bottom of the inning after a 59 minute rain delay to go in front 8-5. Junior left fielder Ted Toune (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) reached on a one-out walk and moved to second on a single from sophomore short stop Mike Gansser (Lake in the Hills, Ill.). Both runners came home on Morrow's first career long ball as the Crusaders second sacker took an 0-2 pitch deep over the fence in right to make it 5-5.
After Little was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a steal and then to third on a throwing error, Hacias singled to center to score Little and put MU up 6-5. Zerbo then stepped up and sent the first pitch he saw over the wall in left for his 12th long ball of the season and an 8-5 lead.
AQ got two runs back in the sixth and another in the seventh to tie the game at 8-8 and send the contest into extra innings. After a scoreless eighth for both sides, the Saints put up a run in the ninth and the Crusaders could not respond in the bottom of the inning to set up a winner-take all for the right to host the WHAC Tournament next week in game two.
Madonna left little doubt that it wanted to host as the Crusaders hung five runs in the bottom of the first to jump on top 5-0. Morrow reached after being hit by a pitch and came home on a Little triple for a 1-0 lead. Little came home two pitches later on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead. Zerbo reached on a one-out walk and moved to second when Kay was able to reach on an error. Flavin then roped a double down the left field line to score Zerbo and make it 3-0. After a walk to Toune loaded the bases, Gansser drew another walk to force in a run and make it 4-0. Little drove in his second run of the inning three pitches later to score pinch hitter Drew Fry (Madison Heights, Mich.) and make it 5-0.
The Saints got a run off of Beaton in the third on a home run, but the Crusaders put four more runs up in their half of the frame to go up 9-1. Kay led off the inning with his second home run of the day after a seven pitch at-bat to make it 6-1. Flavin then singled to right and moved up after Toune was hit by a pitch. After a fielder's choice erased Toune and moved Flavin to third, a squeeze bunt from Khasawneh scored Flavin to make it 7-1. Gansser came home when the ball Fry hit was misplayed to push the lead to 8-1. Run nine came in when Fry was able to come home on a single by Little to make it 9-1 after three innings.
After the Saints put up a single run in the fourth, the rain came again, forcing an hour and 10 minute delay. The delay did little to quiet the Crusader bats as MU put up a run in the fourth as Kay hit a one out double down the right field line and came home on a Flavin single for a 10-2 lead.
Beaton came out in the fifth after sitting for over 90 minutes and allowed a run but shut the door there with MU on top 10-3.
After Fry hit a two out single in the bottom of the fifth, the umpires called the game due to darkness, giving MU the 10-3 win and the WHAC title.
More details on the WHAC Championship will follow early in the week but before the post season gets started, the Crusaders wrap up the regular season with a showdown against No. 21 Spring Arbor in a 4:30pm game at Ilitch Ballpark on Tuesday.
