Site: Dayton, Tenn. (Senton Field)
Score: Madonna University 11, Asbury University 0 (5 Innings)
Score: Madonna University 6, Indiana Wesleyan University 3
Records: MU 2-0; AU 7-14; IWU 0-2
Next MU event: Saturday, Feb. 19 at Bryan (Dayton, Tenn.) 1 p.m. 

DAYTON, Tenn. (MadonnaCrusaders.com) - - Behind a dominating performance on the mound from redshirt sophomore Jeremy Gooding (Livonia, Mich. / Divine Child Catholic) in the season opener and a five-run fourth inning in the day's second game, the No. 11-ranked Madonna University baseball team opened the 2011 season with a 2-0 day in a split double header at the Tennessee Valley Invitational. MU downed Asbury University 11-0 to open the day and wrapped up the afternoon with a 6-3 come-from-behind win over Indiana Wesleyan University.

ASBURY GAME
Gooding shined in the season opener against Asbury University (1-1-1), carrying a no hitter through four innings while striking out a career-high nine batters in his complete game effort in MU's 11-0 run-rule win. Sophomore Steve Pelletier (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Harrison) led MU at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a pair of runs batted in while redshirt seniors Jeff Bultinck (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Notre Dame Prep) and Matt Kay (Canton, Mich. / Canton) each posted a pair of hits as Kay clubbed his first home run of the season as part of a nine hit Madonna (2-0) attack at the plate. Josh Thigpen (0-1) took the loss for AU.

MU plated five runs in the bottom of the first as the first five Crusaders who batted reached base with Bultinck and Kay each reaching on singles to load the bases for redshirt junior Dan Harder (Brighton, Mich. / Brighton). Harder drew a walk to force in the game's second run. Pelletier then hit a two-run single two batters later to make it 4-0 in favor of the Crusaders with just one out. Harder then came home as MU pulled off the double steal, moving Pelletier to second and allowing Harder to cross the plate with MU's fifth run of the inning.

Kay added to the lead in the bottom of the second, hitting a solo homer to left center to make it 6-0.

The Crusaders tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the third starting with a two RBI single from sophomore Alex Charles (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Birmingham Brother Rice) that scored freshman Victor Barron (Fowlerville, Mich. / Fowlerville) and Pelletier to extend MU's lead out to 8-0.

The lead grew to 10-0 two batters later when senior Mike Gansser (Lake in the Hills, Ill. / Rochester {Mich.} Adams) tripled home redshirt junior Drew Adamiec(Walled Lake, Mich. / Walled Lake Central) and Charles.

MU's final run came in the fourth as Pelletier reached on a one out triple and came home on a sacrifice fly from Adamiec to cap the scoring for the Crusaders.

Gooding (1-0) threw a gem, allowing just three base runners through four innings - with two reaching on Crusader miscues - to carry a no hitter into the fifth and final inning. After surrendering a leadoff single to Evan Thomsen Gooding then retired the next three hitters in order, two via the strike out, to set a new career-best for punch outs while earning his first win of the season.

INDIANA WESLEYAN
MU (2-0) completed the split double header sweep with a 6-3 come-from-behind win over Indiana Wesleyan in what is the first of four games between the two former NAIA Region VIII rivals.

Redshirt freshman Dan Stoney (Canton, Mich. / Canton) drove in three runs with a double in his first collegiate at-bat while Kay clubbed his second homer of the day to move into a tie for fifth place all-time in the MU record books. Redshirt sophomore Spencer Sarel (Brighton, Mich. / Brighton) posted a 3-for-3 day at the plate. Freshman Logan Ryan (Madison Heights, Mich. / Lamphere) earned his first collegiate win, throwing four innings of relief while striking out one and scattering three hits.

IWU (0-2) scored a unearned run off of MU starter Austin Delmotte (Romeo, Mich. / Romeo) in the bottom of the second to take a 1-0 lead.

The lead held until the top of the fourth when the Crusader bats exploded for five runs to take the lead for good. Bultinck reached on a one out double to left center before coming home one batter later when Kay launched his second home run of the day, this one to right field to put MU on top 2-0. 

Redshirt junior Billy Hardin III (Livonia, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central) then reached after being hit by a pitch and a single by Sarel followed by Pelletier reaching on an error, loaded the bases with two outs for the pinch hitter Stoney. Stoney took the Jeremy Worrell offering to right for the bases clearing opposite field double to make it 5-1 Madonna.

The Wildcats got a pair of runs back in the bottom of the frame off of Ryan with both runs being unearned after a Crusader miscue in the infield that trimmed the lead down to two runs at 5-3.

Sophomore Brad Lineberry (Canton, Mich. / Plymouth) led off the fifth with a single and moved all the way to third on a Wildcat error before coming home on a Gansser sacrifice fly for the sixth Madonna run and a 6-3 lead.

Ryan (1-0) allowed a runner in the sixth and a pair of runners in the fifth but worked out of the trouble in both innings to seal up the 6-3 win for MU and a 2-0 start to the season.

The Crusaders continue play at the Tennessee Valley Invitational on Saturday (Feb. 19), starting at 1 p.m. in a game against the host Bryan College Lions.