Site: Livonia, Mich. (Ilitch Ballpark)
Score: Madonna 18, Rochester 0
Records: MU (21-12), RC (15-9)
Next MU event: Saturday, March 31 – vs. Lourdes (Ilitch Ballpark) – 1 p.m.

LIVONIA, Mich. - - Eight Madonna University pitchers combined to shutout visiting Rochester College and allowed just eight hits as the MU offense posted 18 runs on 16 hits in an 18-0 win on Tuesday afternoon (March 27) as the Crusaders opened a nine-game homestand at Ilitch Ballpark.

Junior Josh Vandemark (Hicksville, Ohio / Hicksville) earned the victory, throwing the first two innings of a declared staff day. The righty limited Rochester to just one base hit while striking out two to improve to 3-0 on the year. Freshman Justin Hicks (Fowlerville, Mich. /Fowlerville) made his home debut and struck out three in his two innings of work. Senior Andy Omilian (Plymouth, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central), juniors Tommy Moore (Armada, Mich. / Armada), Randall Stempek (Hartland, Mich. / Hartland) and Erik Wright (Canton, Mich. / Canton) along with sophomores Dan Stoney (Canton, Mich. / Canton) and Travis Schuba(Rapid City, Mich. / Kalkaska) all followed and kept Rochester off the board while allowing just seven more base runners over the final five innings.

Juniors Alex Charles (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Brother Rice Catholic) and Logan Curtis (Brooklyn, Mich. / Columbia Central) each drove in three runs with Curtis collecting three hits in his six at-bats. Every Madonna batter reached base at least once with junior outfielder Jeff Beckles (Southfield, Mich. / Lathrup) recording his first hit as a Crusader with a RBI double in the eighth.

Senior Dan Harder (Brighton, Mich. / Brighton) junior Matthew Cook (Dresden, Ontario / Lambton Kent Secondary), sophomore Ryan Lech (Macomb, Mich. / L'Anse Creuse North) and Charles all recorded two hits and nine Crusaders drove in runs in MU's fourth straight win.

The Crusaders scored five runs in the second with Charles driving in two with a single through the left side for the big blow of the inning. MU added two more runs in the fifth when Cook led off with a triple and came home on one of Rochester's seven errors in the game when Harder stole second and throw went into center field. Harder came home on a Curtis single for a 7-0 lead.

MU added three more runs in the sixth before adding another run in the seventh for an 11-0 lead. The Crusaders batted around in the eighth and drew a pair of bases loaded walks, scoring seven times for the 18-0 final.

Ryan Chipka led Rochester with two hits as Austin Timmerman suffered the loss, giving up five runs on four hits in his 3.1 innings of work.

MU continues its season long homestand Saturday (March 31), opening a four-game Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference series against Lourdes University. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Ilitch Ballpark.