Site: Dayton, Tenn. (BC Field / Rhea High School)
Score: Madonna 8, Asbury 1
Score: Madonna 2, Rio Grande 1
Records: MU (3-5), AU (0-5), RGU (0-6)
Next MU event: Saturday, Feb. 18 – vs. St. Xavier (Dayton, Tenn.), 10:00 a.m.

DAYTON, Tenn. - - The 23rd-ranked Madonna University baseball team used a hitting barrage in its opening game of the day Friday (Feb. 17) and a solid pitching performance in the nightcap to sweep a split double header at the Tennessee Valley Invitational. MU rolled to an 8-1 win over Asbury before hanging on for a 2-1 win against Rio Grande.

Senior outfielder Dan Harder (Brighton, Mich. / Brighton) clubbed a pair of home runs while senior designated hitter Billy Hardin III (Livonia, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central) and junior first baseman Brad Lineberry (Canton, Mich. / Plymouth) also added home runs in the victories.

Asbury
The Crusaders staked themselves to a 7-0 lead after the first two innings before cruising to an 8-1 win in the day's opener against Asbury University.

Harder and Lineberry each posted three hits in the game, including their first home runs of the season while Hardin III posted a pair of hits. Lineberry drove in three runs as well in support of junior righty Matthew Cook (Dresden, Ontario / Lambton Kent Secondary) on the mound. Cook threw six innings, scattering four hits while not allowing an earned run for his first win of the season.

MU plated four runs in the top of the first as Lineberry homered to score junior shortstop Tyler Cotter (Livonia, Mich. / Churchill) for a 2-0 lead before an out was recorded. Hardin III drove in Harder – who had singled to center earlier – two batters later with a homer to left center for a 4-0 lead.

The lead grew to 7-0 in the second as Cotter reached on a one-out double down the right field line and came home on a Lineberry single to center that made it 5-0. Harder then came up two batters later and delivered his first home run of the season, a two-run shot to left center that made it 7-0 in favor of the Crusaders.

MU capped its scoring in the third when junior right fielder Josh Deeg (Lake Orion, Mich. / Lake Orion) led the inning off with a single before scoring on an error for an 8-0 cushion.

The Eagles got to Cook for an unearned run in the fourth but that was all the righty would allow before giving way to junior righty Randall Stempek (Hartland, Mich. / Hartland) who pitched around a leadoff single to strike out the final two batters of the game for the 8-1 final.

Isaiah Bell took the loss for the Eagles, falling to 0-1 on the year. Casey Messner and Chad Warner each had two hits for AU.

Rio Grande
In a game that was delayed by over two hours due to a bomb threat that was called in at Rhea County High School earlier in the day, Madonna downed Rio Grande 2-1 Friday night (Feb. 17).

After a scoreless first two innings the Crusaders got on the board in the third as sophomore shortstop Victor Barron (Fowlerville, Mich. / Fowlerville) led off the frame with a single to left. After Barron moved up on a sacrifice bunt from redshirt junior Spencer Sarel (Brighton, Mich. / Brighton) and stole third, redshirt sophomore catcher Donny Holland (White Lake, Mich. / Lakeland) singled in Barron with a base hit to right for a 1-0 lead.

MU tacked on another run in the fourth when Harder clubbed his second homer in as many games, this one a solo shot to right center, that made it 2-0.

Rio Grande used a long ball from Shane Spies in the sixth to pull within one run, 2-1, but redshirt junior Jeremy Gooding (Livonia, Mich. / Divine Child Catholic) stopped the rally there and kept MU in front.

Gooding allowed a one-out base runner in the seventh, but recorded the final two outs with his seventh strikeout of the game and a fly out for the 2-1 victory. Gooding allowed just three hits and one walk to even his mark at 1-1 on the year. Ryan Robertson took the loss for Rio, falling to 0-2.

The Crusaders return to the field on Saturday for another split twin bill, starting at 10 a.m. against longtime foe St. Xavier before closing the day at 4 p.m. against the host, Bryan.

Post Game Notes – For the first time this season, MU did not allow a run in the first inning, snapping a five-game streak to open the year … Gooding posted his 20th career win, moving him to 20-2 in his career and into a tie for third all-time at MU with Will Kennedy (2004-08) and Tom Hansen (2009-11) … Gooding needs just four more wins to claim the top spot in the MU record books … With his complete game effort, Gooding also moved into a tie for third all-time with 13 complete games, joining Craig Benedict (1994-97) and Louie McKaig (1991-94) … Hardin III and Harder both hit their first home runs since the 2010 season … Stempek now has four strikeouts in 1.2 innings of work this season …