Site: Livonia, Mich. (Ilitch Ballpark)
Scores: Madonna 7, Indiana Tech 4; Madonna 9, Indiana Tech 6
Records: MU (25-10, 13-1 WHAC), Indiana Tech (21-15, 4-6 WHAC)
Next MU event: Wed., April 13 at Walsh (North Canton, Ohio), 1 p.m. 

LIVONIA, Mich. (MadonnaCrusaders.com) - -The Madonna University baseball team wrapped up a sweep of its four-game series with visiting Indiana Tech with 7-4 and 9-6 wins on Sunday (April 10) on Senior Day at Ilitch Ballpark.

In between games of the day's doubleheader, the Crusaders honored their five seniors - Jeff Bultinck (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Notre Dame Prep), Mike Gansser(Lake in the Hills, Ill. / Rochester Adams), Matt Kay (Canton, Mich. / Canton), Tarik Khasawneh (Canton, Mich. / Canton) and Chris Skalski (West Bloomfield, Mich. / Walled Lake Northern) - for their dedication and commitment to the program.

Sophomore Steve Pelletier (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Harrison) headlined the day at the plate, clubbing a pair of home runs, including his first career grand slam in game two as part of a four-hit day. Kay joined in with his team-leading seventh of the season to move the Crusaders' right fielder into second place all-time at MU. Taylor Hoisington posted four hits for Tech including a home run in both games.

Sophomore Erik Wright (Canton, Mich. / Canton) earned his first victory of the season in game one, throwing an inning and striking out a pair in relief of starter Aaron Saarela (Commerce, Mich. / Lakeland). Freshman Travis Schuba (Rapid City, Mich. / Kalkaska) earned his fourth save of the season, throwing an inning and a third, striking out one. Freshman Logan Ryan (Madison Heights, Mich. / Lamphere) picked up the win in game two, throwing three innings while allowing just one run and one hit, improving to 3-1 on the year. Wright came back to close game two, throwing two and a third innings while striking out two more to earn his first save of the year. 

Junior Andy Omilian (Plymouth, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central) - who threw three innings in picking up his first save of the season yesterday - started for MU and allowed just two earned runs while scattering four hits in his three and two thirds innings of work. Corey Schwartz took the loss for Tech in game one while Evan Hock suffered the loss in game two. IIT's game one starter Eric Zagone struck out five Crusaders in his four innings of work.

The Crusader offense began early in game one as Bultinck led off with a triple to center and came home on a double by Gansser down the left field line to put the Royal Blue and Gold on top 1-0 after half an inning.

IIT responded with three runs in the bottom of the second, using four hits and taking advantage of a MU error to jump in front 3-1.

MU tied the game in the top of the third on a two-run homer by Pelletier that scored Bultinck to make it a 3-3 game.

The Warrior retook the lead in the bottom of the frame on Hoisington's first homer of the day to put IIT back up 4-3.

MU tied the game in the top of the fourth as Khasawneh doubled home sophomore Brad Lineberry (Canton, Mich. / Plymouth) to square the game at 4-4.

The game remained tied at four until the top of the sixth when Bultinck singled home sophomore Alex Charles (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Brother Rice Catholic) - who had reached on an error to open the inning - to put MU on top 5-4.

The Crusaders added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh as Kay and pinch hitter Dan Stoney (Canton, Mich. / Canton) reached on a walk and a single respectively with one out. After Kay was cut down on a force at third, Charles singled up the middle to score pinch runner Ryan Lech (Macomb, Mich. / L'Anse Creuse North) and Victor Barron (Fowlerville, Mich. / Fowlerville) to extend the MU lead to three, 7-4.

Schuba sent the Warriors down in order in the seventh for his fourth save of the year and a 7-4 MU victory.

Game two of the day was quiet until the third when Pelletier connected on his second home run of the day, this one a grand slam that scored Lech, Bultinck and Gansser to put the home side up 4-0.
Just as fast as it was 4-0 in favor of MU, Tech took a 5-4 lead in the top of the fourth, starting with a two-run homer from Hoisington to cur the MU lead in half, 4-2. A Madonna error followed by a two-RBI double by Mitchell Burton plated three more runs for Tech and gave the Warriors the lead.

Kay gave the Crusader the lead back in the bottom of the fifth, connecting on his seventh home run of the year, this one a three-run shot to right center that put MU on top 7-5 and moved Kay all alone into second place in the Madonna record books for career home runs with 32.

After the Warriors plated a run in the top of the seventh to pull back to within one at 7-6, the Crusaders answered back with two more runs as pinch hitter Dan Harder (Brighton, Mich. / Brighton) hit a towering fly ball to left that was dropped, allowing Gansser to score from third to make it 8-6. Junior Garret Rebain (Plymouth, Mich. / Plymouth) then delivered a sacrifice fly to center to score Pelletier for a 9-6 lead.

Wright sent the Warriors down in order in the eighth and worked around a one-out double in the ninth, retiring the final two hitters with a strike out and a ground out to wrap up the sweep for the Crusaders with the 9-6 win.

MU steps out of league play for a midweek doubleheader at Walsh on Wednesday (April 13). First pitch in North Canton, Ohio, is set for 1 p.m.