Site: Livonia, Mich. (Ilitch Ballpark)
Score: Aquinas 4, Madonna 1
Score: Aquinas 3, Madonna 1
Records: MU (17-10, 2-2 WHAC), AQ (8-10, 2-2 WHAC)
Next MU event: Saturday, March 24 – at Siena Heights (Adrian, Mich.) – 1 p.m.

LIVONIA, Mich. - - Seven combined errors in two games and a lack of clutch hitting was too much for the Madonna University baseball team to overcome as the Crusaders were swept by visiting Aquinas College by finals of 4-1 and 3-1 on Sunday (March 18) in a Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference double header at Ilitch Ballpark.

The losses drop MU to 17-11 overall and to .500 in the WHAC at 2-2. AQ improved to 8-10 overall and 2-2 in the league with its sweep.

Game One
An error in the opening inning allowed two runs to score for Aquinas as the Saints took a 2-0 lead after one inning. AQ added another unearned run in the bottom of the fourth for a 3-0 lead.

Madonna cracked the run column in the sixth when junior center fielder Alex Charles (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Brother Rice Catholic) led off the inning with a triple to left field and came home on a wild pitch to cut the lead to two, 3-1.

After MU left two on in the seventh, AQ added another unearned run for the 4-1 final.

Junior Matthew Cook (Dresden, Ontario / Lambton Kent Secondary) took the loss for MU. Cook (4-1) threw seven innings, scattering five hits and did not allow an earned run while striking out seven. Kaleb Ort threw 6.1 innings and dominated the Crusaders, striking out 12 batters while scattering three hits for AQ to earn his second win of the season. Ryan Grigonis and Austin King each had two hits for the Saints.

Senior first baseman Garrett Rebain (Plymouth, Mich. / Plymouth) led MU at the plate with a pair of hits including a double.

Game Two
Neither side could get an offense going in the early innings until MU went in front 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth when senior left fielder Dan Harder (Brighton, Mich. / Brighton) led off with a single and after stealing second and moving to third on a fly ball, came home on a sacrifice fly by junior third baseman Spencer Sarel (Brighton, Mich. / Brighton) for the Crusaders' only lead of the day.

AQ got to MU starter Aaron Saarela (Commerce, Mich. / Lakeland) for a run to tie the game at 1-1 in the top of the fifth as Jimmy McDonagh reached on a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Michael Penny singled home McDonagh with the game-tying run.

After the Crusaders left the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth, the Saints plated two more runs in the top of the sixth to take the lead. Michael Wood led off with a double to right and pinch runner Jake Roe moved to second when Grigonis was walked by MU reliever Travis Schuba (Rapid City, Mich. / Kalkaska). A sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, Schuba gave up a single to Allen Manyen followed by a bunt single to Brent Steele that scored two, giving AQ a 3-1 lead.

MU had the tying run at the plate in the seventh after freshman Troy Stressman (Shepherd, Mich. / Shepherd) recorded his first career base hit with a single to left, but Jake Ritsema got Charles to go down on strikes to end the game and give AQ the sweep.

Junior second baseman Tyler Cotter (Livonia, Mich. / Churchill) collected a pair of hits and was the only Crusader to post multiple hits in the day's second game.

Saarela (1-4) took the loss for MU, giving up two runs on five hits and walking three. Ritsema threw a complete game for AQ, striking out four while walking just two and allowing just the single earned run.

Manyen and Wood led AQ at the plate with two hits each.

MU is now idle until next Saturday (March 24) when the Crusaders travel to Adrian, Mich., for a four-game series at Siena Heights.