Site: Livonia, Mich. (Ilitch Ballpark)
Scores: Madonna 6, Davenport 0; Madonna 4, Davenport 1
Records: MU (16-9, 5-1 WHAC), Davenport (16-8, 4-2 WHAC)
Next MU event: Saturday, April 2 vs. Siena Heights (Ilitch Ballpark), 1 p.m. 

LIVONIA, Mich. (MadonnaCrusaders.com) - - Behind a pair of solid outings on the mound in chilly temperatures, the Madonna University baseball team opened its 2011 home season at Ilitch Ballpark on Wednesday (March 30) with a sweep over visiting Davenport University by finals of 6-0 and 4-1 to hand Head Coach Greg Haeger his 450th and 451st wins of his career.

Senior second baseman Jeff Bultinck (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Notre Dame Prep) led the Crusaders' efforts at the plate, posting three hits on the day while driving in and scoring a run in game one. Fellow senior and shortstop Mike Gansser (Lake in the Hills, Ill. / Rochester Adams) drove in three runs in game two for the Crusaders (16-9; 5-1 WHAC). Dan Brown posted a pair of hits for DU (16-8; 4-2 WHAC) in game two.

Game one was a showdown of two of the top pitchers in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference in MU sophomore Jeremy Gooding (Livonia, Mich. / Divine Child Catholic) and DU senior Tucker Gernhard. 

Both pitchers came into the game undefeated and with earned run averages well below two. Gooding came out on top, allowing just three hits while striking out seven in improving his record to 4-0 on the year. Gernhard was saddled with his first loss of the season, giving up four runs while striking out five Crusaders in falling to 2-1 on the year.

After allowing a lead off single in the first, Gooding picked off Chris VanGessel and struck out Derek Gentile to end the inning and an early DU threat.

The Crusaders plated a pair of runs in their half of the first to take a 2-0 lead. Junior catcher Drew Adamiec (Walled Lake, Mich. / Western) worked a one-out walk and moved all the way to third when Gernhard's pick off attempt was unsuccessful. Walks to sophomore leftfielder Steve Pelletier (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Harrison) and junior designated hitter Dan Harder (Brighton, Mich. / Brighton) loaded the bases.

MU then got daring on the base paths and pulled off a rare triple steal as Adamiec slid under the tag at home to put the Royal Blue and Gold on top 1-0. A wild pitch allowed Pelletier to score and stake Gooding to a 2-0 lead after one inning.

Both Gernhard and Gooding settled in after the first as neither allowed a base runner past second until the fifth when the Crusaders scored two more runs to increase their lead to 4-0.

Sophomore centerfielder Alex Charles (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Brother Rice Catholic) opened the inning with an infield single - one of his three hits in the game - and Bultinck followed with a bunt single to put two on for Adamiec. Adamiec then dropped down a bunt to try and move both runners into scoring position but the Panthers cut Charles down at third for the first out of the inning. A double steal then moved both runners up and Pelletier drove in Bultinck with a sacrifice fly to right for a 3-0 lead. Adamiec - who also moved up on the Pelletier sacrifice - came home after a balk was called during the at-bat of senior rightfielder Matt Kay(Canton, Mich. / Canton) for a 4-0 lead after five complete.

The Crusaders added two more runs in the sixth when Charles singled to left to score Harder - who led off the inning with a single - before a Bultinck sacrifice fly scored Gansser for a 6-0 cushion.

Gooding worked out of a jam in the seventh, as after allowing a pair of runners with two away as he got Joe Freist to ground out to Gansser to end the game and give Haeger his 450th career win at the helm of the Crusaders.

Junior lefty Tom Hansen (Rochester Hills, Mich. / Adams) tried to match Gooding's performance in the nightcap as he allowed just four hits and struck out three in eight and 2/3 innings of work for his third win of the season. 

Cody VanKoevering (2-1) took the loss for DU, giving up all four MU runs in four and 2/3 innings of work before giving way to the Panther bullpen.

The Crusaders gave Hansen three runs before he even took the mound as MU (the 'away' team in game two) started its scoring with three straight singles from Bultinck, Adamiec and Pelletier to open the game. After a fielder's choice retired Pelletier for the second out, Harder was hit to load the bases for freshman Victor Barron (Fowlerville, Mich. / Fowlerville). Barron drew a walk to force in Adamiec from third for a 1-0 lead. The lead grew to 3-0 when Gansser singled through the left side of the infield to score a pair and give MU a three-run cushion.

MU added a fourth run in the third as Gansser singled up the middle to score Kay for a 4-0 lead.

After allowing a pair of runners in the bottom of the third, Hansen settled in and allowed just one runner past second base through eight. The MU defense allowed a runner with two away in the bottom of the ninth on an error and Hansen then gave up a RBI single to Dan Brown to make it 4-1 and Haeger called upon freshman righty Travis Schuba (Rapid City, Mich. / Kalkaska) to close out the game. 

Schuba issued a walk to the first batter he faced but then got Brian Spykerman to pop out to Garrett Rebain (Plymouth, Mich. / Plymouth) at first to end the game while picking up his third save of the season and giving the Crusaders a sweep in the regular season series against the Panthers.

MU continues its home stand this weekend, hosting Siena Heights in a four-game series. First pitch on Saturday (April 2) is set for 1 p.m. at Ilitch Ballpark.

NOTES
* Haeger's 451 career wins is tops among active coaches in the WHAC and research has Haeger third all-time in wins in the WHAC, behind only Terry Bocian of Aquinas and the late Hank Burbridge of Spring Arbor. Both Bocian and Burbridge had over 1,000 wins when they retired.

* Gooding picked up his 14th career win on Wednesday, moving him into 10th place all-time at MU. His seven strikeouts moved his career total to 117 - in less than two seasons -just outside the top-10 all-time at MU.

* Hansen's win gave him 17 for his career and moved him into sixth place all-time in the Crusader record book.

* With the two wins on Wednesday, MU now leads the all-time series with the Panthers 10-1 and the Crusaders have won eight straight meetings in the regular season.