Site: Lakeland, Fla. (Henley Field)
Score: Evangel 2, Madonna 1
Score: Evangel 4, Madonna 2
Records: MU (6-7), EU (8-6)
Next MU event: Sunday, March 4 – vs. Bluefield (Auburndale, Fla.), 6:00 p.m.

LAKELAND, Fla. - - A poor day performing at the plate coupled with allowing two-out runs proved costly for the Madonna University baseball team as the Crusaders were swept by Evangel University by final scores of 2-1 and 4-2 at Henley Field on Saturday (March 3).

Redshirt senior outfielder Dan Harder (Brighton, Mich. / Brighton) tallied three hits on the day, including his team-best third home run of the season. Redshirt sophomore catcher Donny Holland (White Lake, Mich. / Lakeland) posted a pair of hits in the day's opener.

Game One
For the ninth time in the first 12 games of the season, the Crusaders saw the opposition put up a run in the first inning as EU got to MU redshirt junior righty Jeremy Gooding (Livonia, Mich. / Divine Child Catholic) for a single run using a leadoff double followed by a sacrifice bunt and a ground out to lead 1-0.

The MU offense struggled early on as the first 11 Crusaders went down in order before Holland broke the streak with a two-out single in the third.

MU threatened in the top of the fifth when redshirt senior second baseman Billy Hardin III (Livonia, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central) singled up the middle with two away. Junior Tyler Cotter (Livonia, Mich. / Churchill ) ran for Hardin III but was thrown out at home trying to score from first on a single to right field by redshirt junior Spencer Sarel (Brighton, Mich. / Brighton).

Evangel plated another run in the bottom of the frame taking advantage of a pair of Madonna errors on the same play to claim a 2-0 edge after five complete.

The Crusaders got on the board in the top of the seventh as sophomore shortstop Victor Barron (Fowlerville, Mich. / Fowlerville) led off with a single and scored on a double by Harder to cut the MU deficit to a single run. Harder advanced to third on a fly ball two batters later but was stranded there as EU's Blake McKnight got junior pinch hitter Matthew Cook (Dresden, Ontario / Lambton Kent Secondary) to ground out to second, ending the game.

Gooding (1-2) was saddled with his second loss of the season as he gave up just four hits and one earned run while walking two and striking out four in his six innings of work. McKnight (3-0) earned the victory, scattering seven MU base hits while striking out four in a complete game effort.

Four different players for Evangel posted base hits as MU out hit EU 7-4.

Game Two
Madonna scored first in the nightcap, using a two-out, two-run bomb to left by Harder – as part of a 3-for-3 game at the plate - to claim a 2-0 lead after one inning.

The score remained 2-0 until the fifth when EU took advantage of three straight singles with two down off of MU junior righty Josh Deeg (Lake Orion, Mich. / Lake Orion) to trim the MU lead to just one at 2-1.

Evangel took the lead in the top of the seventh as Mason Holliday led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. After Deeg issued a walk to the next batter, head coach Greg Haeger called in junior reliever Randall Stempek (Hartland, Mich. / Hartland) to try and close the game.

Stempek hit the first batter he saw before recording a strikeout for the second out of the inning. A single by Christian Maciel through the left side plated a pair of runs and gave Evangel a 3-2 lead. EU then took advantage of a MU miscue that allowed the runner to score from third for a 4-2 lead.

Madonna – which had registered just five base runners since the first inning – tried to start a one-out rally with a single by junior left fielder Steve Pelletier(Farmington Hills, Mich. / Harrison) but a strikeout and a fly out to right ended the game and gave Evangel the sweep over MU.

Deeg (0-2) suffered his second loss of the season, striking out a career-best eight hitters while giving up nine base hits and being charged with three of the four EU runs in the game.

Josh Engler threw a complete game for Evangel, striking out five Madonna hitters while allowing seven hits on the day. CJ Carza, Nathan Jones and Maciel all posted two hits for EU.

The Crusaders return to the field for a 6 p.m. game on Sunday (March 4) against Bluefield at the Lake Myrtle Complex.