Site: Fort Wayne, Ind.
Results: Indiana Tech 7, Madonna 4 | Madonna 16, Indiana Tech 7
Records: MU 27-4 (6-2 WHAC) | Tech 18-18 (5-3 WHAC)
Next MU event: Saturday, April 11 vs. Siena Heights
Box Scores - GAME ONE | GAME TWO
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - - After dropping just its second WHAC game of the season and its fourth of the year in the day's opener, the No. 8-ranked Madonna University baseball team rebounded to split its Wednesday (April 8) double header at Indiana Tech with a 16-7 game two win. MU fell in the opener 7-4.
The long ball was huge all day, but more so in game two for the Crusaders as four MU players hit home runs as part of a 13 hit performance.
Leading the way at the plate was Kevin Zerbo (Farmington, Mich.) who drove in all four MU runs in the opener, hitting two home runs. Adam Bailey (Taylor, Mich.), Zach Flavin (Novi, Mich.), Aaron Hacias (Sterling Heights, Mich.) and Matt Kay (Canton, Mich.) all hit home runs in the night cap with Hacias hitting a grand slam. Drew Fry (Madison Heights, Mich.) went 4-for-5 in the second game, scoring a run.
Game One
Indiana Tech got on the board first, scoring two runs off of Madonna starter
Trent Pohl (Grand Ledge, Mich.) in the third when Steve Weigel homered to right center to make it 2-0.
Madonna answered back in the third, using Zerbo's first homer of the game - a two run shot to right center - to tie the game at 2-2.
The Warriors plated five runs in the fifth to go in front 7-2 before Zerbo answered again, this time in the sixth, hitting another two-run blast, this one to straight away center field to make it 7-4.
Zerbo's power display was not enough, as Todd Phillips came on for the seventh for the save and a 7-4 Tech win.
Pohl suffered the loss, his first of the season against a pair of wins.
Game Two
The Crusaders found themselves down early again in game two after the Warriors plated a single run in the bottom of the first to go in front 1-0.
The MU bats then woke up in the second, scoring three runs, two coming on Flavin's fifth home run of the season that scored Zerbo to put MU up 2-1. It became a 3-1 affair after Ted Toune (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) singled and moved to third on a Fry single and the Crusaders pulled off the double steal, allowing Toune to come home for the third MU run.
Tech answered back in the bottom of the inning, tying the game on a Chad Geier home run off of starter Tom Hansen (Rochester Hills, Mich.) to make it 3-3.
The Madonna offense continued to click in the third, scoring four runs to go in front for good at 7-3. After Hacias and Zerbo reached on back-to-back walks, Kay came to the plate and after fouling off numerous pitches, the sophomore right fielder homered over the four lane road beyond right field and into the cemetery across the street to make it 6-3 Madonna. Toune would follow that shot with a walk of his own two batters later and came home on a Fry double to make it 7-3.
MU put up four more runs in the fifth when Hacias hit his first grand slam in a Madonna uniform to right center to make it 11-3.
IIT got two runs back in the bottom of the fifth and had the bases loaded with two outs when head coach Greg Haeger went to the bull pen and called upon junior righty Jeff Mann (Waterford, Mich.). Mann came in and struck out Geier swinging to end the threat.
The Crusaders came back with two runs of their own in the sixth when Ryan Morrow (Taylor, Mich.) singled in a pair of runs to make it 13-5.
Tech put up a run in the bottom of the inning to cut the MU lead to just seven at 13-6 but Bailey answered back again, coming in as a pinch hitter and launching a three-run shot to left field to cap the MU attack with runs 14, 15 and 16.
Tech got a run back in the seventh on a bases loaded walk but Robert Fraser (Westland, Mich.) came in and shut the door, giving the Crusaders a 16-7 come-from-behind win.
Hansen picked up the win, his sixth of the season against just one defeat. The freshman lefty struck out a pair in the victory.
MU will return to the diamond on Saturday, hosting Siena Heights. First pitch at Ilitch Ballpark is set for 1pm.
