Site: Livonia, Mich. (Ilitch Ballpark)
Game One Score: Indiana Tech 5, Madonna University 4
Game Two Score: Madonna University 11, Aquinas College 1
Game Three Score: Madonna University 4, Indiana Tech 1
Records: MU 46-8, IIT 32-26, AQ 27-24-2
Next MU event: Thursday May 13 vs. Indiana Tech (Ilitch Ballpark) 10am EDT

IIT BOX SCORE | AQ BOX SCORE | IIT BOX SCORE (Game Two)

POST GAME INTERVIEW ON CRUSADER VISION (Haeger)

LIVONIA, Mich. (MadonnaCrusaders.com) - - After opening the day with a 5-4 upending at the hands of Indiana Tech, the No. 11-ranked Madonna University baseball team recovered to win two more games on the day in the first triple header in program history by downing Aquinas College 11-1 and then closed out the day with a 4-1 win over Indiana Tech to stay alive in the 2010 Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Baseball Championship at Ilitch Ballpark.

The win against Tech pushes the league championship into the winner take all "if necessary" game on Thursday (May 13) at 10am at Ilitch Ballpark.

Game One - Indiana Tech
The Crusaders plated a pair of runs in the top of the fourth to go on top 2-0 as sophomore Billy Hardin III (Livonia, Mich./Detroit Catholic Central/Ashland) singled home junior Jeff Bultinck (Sterling Heights, Mich./Notre Dame Prep/Concordia) to make it 1-0. Junior Mike Gansser (Lake in the Hills, Ill./Rochester Adams) then singled home senior Zach Flavin (Novi, Mich./Novi) to make it 2-0.

The MU lead grew to 4-0 in the fifth when Matt Kay (Canton, Mich./Canton/Henry Ford CC) drew a bases loaded walk to force in a run and make it 3-0. Drew Fry(Madison Heights, Mich./Madison Heights) then delivered a pinch-hit single that scored Bultinck for a 4-0 cushion.

The Warriors got to MU starter John Ballarin (Westland, Mich./Detroit Catholic Central/Eastern Michigan) for three runs by stringing together six straight hits with one out to make it 4-3 heading into the ninth.

MU went down in order in the top of the ninth and Tech used a pair of hits followed by a Madonna error to tie the game and after an intentional walk to load the bases, Chad Geier singled up the middle to win the game 5-4 for Tech.

Kyle Bolton (Burlington, Ont./Notre Dame/Indiana Tech) suffered the loss in relief, falling to 8-1 on the year.

Game Two - Aquinas
Facing elimination the Crusaders squared off with the Aquinas Saints in game two of the day and after a scoreless first, the Crusaders plated four runs in the bottom of the second to take a 4-0 lead.

Kay reached on a one-out single and a double from Dan Harder (Brighton, Mich./Brighton/Heidelberg) put runners at second and third for Brad Lineberry (Canton, Mich./Plymouth). Lineberry delivered a sac fly to center that scored Kay to make it 1-0. Harder came home to score when a ball off the bat of Tarik Khasawneh(Canton, Mich./Canton) was misplayed to make it 2-0. Ted Toune (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Park Center/Lansing CC) then singled to score a pair and make it 4-0.

Aquinas took advantage of a Madonna error in the fifth to score a run but MU answered back in the sixth as Kay hit his team-leading 11th home run of the season with Flavin aboard to make it 6-1.

MU put the game away in the seventh as both Tim Duffy (Carleton, Mich./Airport/Jackson CC) and Fry drove in a pair of runs as part of a five-run inning to make it 11-1 in favor of the home team.

The 10-run lead was more than enough for starter and eventual winner Robert Fraser (Westland, Mich./John Glenn) who threw a complete game, scattering eight hits while striking out four, raising his record to 6-1 on the year.

Game Three - Indiana Tech
Playing in their second straight elimination game, the Crusaders played a third game on the day - an unheard of event in college baseball - and came away with a 4-1 in over Indiana Tech.

After discussion with the conference administration, it was decided that the Crusaders and Warriors could have played the first of a possible two games on Thursday morning but head coach Greg Haeger and the MU seniors made the decision to play the game right away due to possible heavy rains slated to hit Livonia over night and into Thursday.

The Crusaders took an early lead in the bottom of the first, getting a two-RBI double from Flavin that scored Hardin III and Bultinck to make it 2-0.

The MU lead grew to 4-0 in the sixth when Fry connected on another pinch hit two-RBI single to score Kay and Lineberry and push the MU lead to four.

MU starter Tom Hansen (Rochester Hills, Mich./Adams) was solid, keeping the Tech hitters at bay until the eighth when the Warriors put a pair of runners on and Haeger went to the bullpen and called in Andy Omilian (Plymouth, Mich./Detroit Catholic Central) and while giving up a run on a ground out, Omilian limited the damage to a run and the Crusaders escaped with a three-run lead after the top of the eighth.

Omilian came out for his second inning of work in the ninth and after giving up a pair of singles with two outs, the sophomore righty induced Paul McIntosh to hit into a fielder's choice to Bultinck at second to end the game.

Hansen earned the win, his sixth of the season while Omilian earned his second save of the season.