Site: Lakeside, Calif. (Stars Field)
Score: No. 21 Madonna University 7, San Diego Christian 1
Records: MU 1-0, SDC 0-2
Next MU event: Friday, February 19 at Biola (Eagles Diamond), 11am (PST) 

BOX SCORE

LAKESIDE, Calif. (MadonnaCrusaders.com) - - A solid six innings on the mound from sophomore Robert Fraser (Westland, Mich.) combined with timely hitting and a two-run pinch hit home run from junior Dan Harder (Brighton, Mich.) gave the No. 21-ranked Madonna University baseball team a 7-1 season-opening win over San Diego Christian at Stars Field.

Fraser (1-0) started out hot, striking out the final batter in each of the first four innings and allowed just five hits in picking up his fourth career win. Junior Trent Pohl (Grand Ledge, Mich.) came in to relieve Fraser and allowed one hit while striking out a pair in an inning and 2/3 of work. Sophomore Andy Omilian(Plymouth, Mich.) threw the final one and a third, picking up a strike out.

Junior Jeff Bultinck (Sterling Heights, Mich.) collected a double as part of a two hit day while Harder made the most of his first MU at-bat, blasting a two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning. 

After a scoreless first inning for both sides, the Crusaders scored a pair of runs in the top of the second. Junior Matt Kay (Canton, Mich.) led off with a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Senior Drew Fry (Madison Heights, Mich.) drew another walk to put runners on first and second with. After back-to-back pop outs, Kay moved up on a wild pitch to put runners at first and third and set up a double steal that moved Fry to second and plated Kay for a 1-0 Madonna lead. Fry moved up on a wild pitch and came home on a single off the bat of fellow senior Ted Toune (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) to make it 2-0.

SDC cut the MU lead to one in the bottom of the fifth as the Hawks put back-to-back-to-back hits together off of Fraser to score their lone run of the game and make it 2-1.

The Crusaders added an insurance run in the sixth when Kay reached on a one-out single and proceeded to steal second and move up on a wild pitch before stealing home for the second time on the day and a 3-1 MU lead.

Madonna added two more runs in both the top of the seventh and eighth innings for the 7-1 final. Toune was hit with one away in the seventh and moved to second on a single from junior Shawn Little (Canton, Mich.). Bultinck followed Little with a single of his own to score Toune and put runners at first and second. Little then stole third - one of seven MU thefts on the day - and scored on an errant throw from the SDC catcher to make it 5-1.

Harder's blast in the eighth to right center provided the final margin of victory in the 7-1 win.

The Crusaders continue their season-opening swing through southern California with an 11am (PST) double header at Biola on Friday (Feb. 19). Lives stats are available HERE.