Site: Livonia, Mich. (Ilitch Ballpark)
Scores: Madonna 9, Rochester 4; Rochester 10, Madonna 2
Records: MU (13-6), RC (5-13)
Next MU event: Monday, April 1 – at Aquinas (Grand Rapids, Mich.) – 2 p.m.

LIVONIA, Mich. – After a 21-day delay thanks to Mother Nature, the Madonna University baseball team split its 2013 home opening double header against Rochester College. The Crusaders downed the Warriors 9-4 in Saturday's (March 30) first game before falling 10-2 in the nightcap at the Madonna Athletic Complex (MAC), home of Ilitch Ballpark.

The Madonna offense produced 13 hits in the opener, led by a 4-for-4 performance that included a home run from senior right fielder Brad Lineberry (Canton, Mich. / Plymouth). Freshman second baseman Shane Dokey (Howell, Mich. / Brighton), senior third baseman Justin Cook (Dresden, Ontario / Lambton Kent Secondary) and senior left fielder Steve Pelletier (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Harrison) each added two hits for MU.

MU got on the board with five runs in the bottom of the first as the first four MU hitters reached base with junior shortstop Victor Barron (Fowlerville, Mich. / Fowlerville) delivering a two-run double to right to give MU a 2-0 lead. Cook then doubled home Barron for a 3-0 lead. A single by senior designated hitter Matthew Cook (Dresden, Ontario / Lambton Kent Secondary) moved Justin Cook to third before a sacrifice fly from Pelletier scored Justin Cook with MU's fourth run. Two batters later senior center fielder Alex Charles (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Brother Rice Catholic) scored Matthew Cook with a sacrifice fly to cap the MU scoring in the first.

MU added a single run in the bottom of the second when Justin Cook scored Barron from third with a sacrifice fly for a 6-0 lead.

Rochester got to MU senior righty Josh Vandemark (Hicksville, Ohio / Hicksville) for three runs in the top of the third including scoring a pair of runs with two outs to cut the MU lead to three, 6-3.

The Warriors added another run in the fourth, again scoring with two outs, to pull within two, 6-4.

MU answered with a single run in the bottom of the inning when Lineberry singled to left to plate Dokey for a 7-4 lead.

The Crusaders added another run in the fifth when Pelletier scored by taking advantage of sophomore pinch runner Mike Tibbits (Plymouth, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central) getting caught in a rundown between first and second to give MU an 8-4 cushion.

Lineberry capped the MU scoring in the sixth with a one-out solo home run for the 9-4 final.

Freshman right hander Adam Prashad (Mississauga, Ontario / Mississauga Secondary) earned the win for the Crusaders, throwing three innings in relief of Vandemark. Prashad (2-0) scattered three hits while allowing one run in his second victory of the season. Vandemark went the first three for MU, scattering four hits and striking out a pair in a no-decision. Junior righty Travis Schuba (Rapid City, Mich. / Kalkaska) threw the seventh for MU in his first action since rejoining the baseball Crusaders following the men's basketball team's trip to the NAIA National Championship.

Fernando Delacruz (0-1) took the loss for Rochester, allowing eight runs in five innings of work. Ray Yesh had three hits for the Warriors in the opener.

Madonna was down 5-0 before even coming to bat in game two as Rochester scored five times in the first inning of the nightcap, with David Woodson delivering the big blow, a three-run homer to right, to cap the Warriors' scoring in the first.

MU got on the board with a pair of runs in the fourth as Dokey led off with a walk and came home on a Lineberry triple. Junior shortstop Ryan Lech (Macomb, Mich. / L'Anse Creuse North) plated Lineberry with a ground out that made it 5-2.

RC tacked on two runs in the fifth and three more in the seventh and the two runs in the fifth were the only two in the game for the Crusaders as the Warriors' Austin Suiter held MU to just three hits in a complete game victory. Suiter (1-0) worked around five walks with a pair of strikeouts in his first win of the season.

Senior righty Robert Fraser (Westland, Mich. / John Glenn) suffered the loss for Madonna. Fraser (1-1) gave up five runs in his three innings of work. The MU pitching staff combined to strike out nine Rochester batters in the loss.

MU finally opens Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference play on Monday (April 1), traveling to Aquinas. First pitch for game one of the twinbill is set for 1 p.m.