Site: Livonia, Mich. (Ilitch Ballpark)
Game One Score: Aquinas College 7, Madonna University 0
Game Two Score: Madonna University 4, Aquinas College 0
Records: MU 33-7, 11-3 WHAC; AC 21-15-2, 8-6 WHAC
Next MU event: Sunday April 25 at Aquinas College (Wyoming, Mich.), 1pm EDT

GAME ONE BOX SCORE| GAME TWO BOX SCORE

LIVONIA, Mich. (MadonnaCrusaders.com) - - After a cold start to the day at the plate, the No. 14-ranked Madonna University baseball team shut out visiting Aquinas College 4-0 in the nightcap to salvage a split of its Saturday (April 24) double header at Ilitch Ballpark. AQ won game one 7-0.

Senior John Ballarin (Westland, Mich./Detroit Catholic Central/Eastern Michigan) threw a complete game six hitter in the win, raising his record to 5-1 on the year. Ballarin struck out four, including the final hitter of the game with the bases loaded in the seventh.

Senior Ted Toune (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Park Center/Lansing CC) along with junior Jeff Bultinck (Sterling Heights, Mich./Notre Dame Prep/Concordia) both recorded three hits on the day while freshman Spencer Sarel (Brighton, Mich./Brighton) added a pair of base knocks. Freshmen Alex Charles (Farmington Hills, Mich./Brother Rice) and Brad Lineberry (Canton, Mich./Plymouth) along with senior Zach Flavin (Novi, Mich./Novi) and junior Matt Kay (Canton, Mich./Canton/Henry Ford CC) all drove in runs for the Crusaders.

After being held scoreless in the first three innings of game two, the MU bats plated a pair of runs off of AQ starter Bryan Carey in the fourth. Bultinck led off with a double down the left field line and came home three batters later on a Charles single up the middle for a 1-0 lead. Linberry followed Charles with a double to right center to score Charles and make it 2-0 in favor of the home team.

The Royal Blue and Gold went up 4-0 in the bottom of the fifth when Toune and Sarel reached on back-to-back singles with one away. Bultinck then followed with a single to load the bases for Flavin. The MU first baseman delivered a sacrifice fly to left that scored Toune for a 3-0 lead. Kay then reached on an error that allowed Sarel to score for a 4-0 lead.

Ballarin sent AQ down in order in the sixth and after a lead off ground out in the seventh, allowed the next three hitters to reach base with one way. Nick Papes hit a line drive to right that Kay dove for and snared to not allow the runners to advance. Ballarin took care of the final out himself with a strike out for the win.

In game one Aquinas got to Madonna starter Jeremy Gooding (Livonia, Mich./Divine Child Catholic/Saginaw Valley State) for four runs - all coming with two outs - in he top of the third. Andrew Bard, Jon Good and Will Eberle all collected a pair of RBIs in the opener as Joe Welton kept the Crusader hitters at bay, allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out seven to move to 6-2 on the year. Gooding (6-1) allowed four runs on seven hits and walked three, suffering his first loss of the year.

The Saints added three runs in the top of the seventh for the 7-0 final in the day's opener.

The Crusaders and Saints wrap up their four-game set with a double header on Sunday (April 25) at Kimble Stadium. First pitch in Wyoming is set for 1pm.