Site: Livonia, Mich. (Ilitch Ballpark)
Score: Madonna 5, Cornerstone 4 (10 innings); Madonna 7, Cornerstone 6
Records: MU (21-7, 8-1 WHAC), CU (11-20, 6-10 WHAC)
Next MU event: Monday, April 15 – vs. Davenport (Ilitch Ballpark) – 1 p.m.

LIVONIA, Mich. – On a day when the Madonna University baseball team honored its 2013 senior class, senior third baseman Justin Cook (Dresden, Ontario / Lambton Kent Secondary) delivered a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning before driving in the game winning run to cap a come-from-behind win as the Crusaders swept Cornerstone by finals of 5-4 and 7-6 on Saturday (April 13) at the Madonna Athletic Complex, home of Ilitch Ballpark. The wins sealed a sweep in the weekend series for the Crusaders.

Cook was one of four Crusaders to post two hits in the day's opener as junior shortstop Victor Barron (Fowlerville, Mich. / Fowlerville), senior center fielder Alex Charles (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Brother Rice Catholic) and freshman second baseman Shane Dokey (Howell, Mich. / Brighton) all collected a pair of hits with Charles hitting a double. Senior left fielder Steve Pelletier (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Harrison) was joined by Barron, Charles and Cook in driving in a run as well.

Senior righty Randall Stempek (Hartland, Mich. / Hartland) earned the win in relief, throwing the final inning and a third, striking out three for his first win of the season. Senior righty Jeremy Gooding (Livonia, Mich. / Divine Child Catholic) went the first six innings, scattering six hits and allowing three earned runs while striking out five. Junior right hander Travis Schuba (Rapid City, Mich. / Kalkaska) went two and two-thirds innings and posted a pair of strikeouts.

The Crusaders got on the board with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first as Dokey led off with a single and after moving to second on a passed ball, came home on a ball off of Pelletier's bat that hit the first base bag and bounded into the outfield for a double and a 1-0 MU lead. Pelletier came home on a single by Barron to cap the MU scoring in the first.

MU added another run in the second as the first three batters reached base thanks to a walk, an error and a bunt single before senior designated hitter Matthew Cook (Dresden, Ontario / Lambton Kent Secondary) scored on a wild pitch to give MU a 3-0 lead.

Cornerstone got a pair of runs back in the top of the third, starting with a leadoff home run from Zack Meyer that made it a 3-1 game. After a walk and a throwing error allowed Jake Kuhn to reach and advance to third, Kuhn stole home for a 3-2 game.

The Golden Eagles tacked on two more runs in the fourth, taking a 4-3 lead. Zach Bohl delivered a two-out single that scored both runs and gave CU the lead.

After being held scoreless for five innings, the Crusaders pulled even in the bottom of the eighth. Matthew Cook was hit by a pitch with one out and sophomore pinch runner Mike Tibbits (Plymouth, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central) stole second before coming home on Charles' double to tie the game at 4-4.

Cornerstone threatened in the ninth after a leadoff double and a walk put two on with two outs. Stempek came in from the bullpen and struck out Tyler Krahn to end the threat.

After MU went down in order in the ninth, sending the game to extra innings, Stempek responded with a 1-2-3 inning that included a pair of strikeouts in the top of the 10th.

Justin Cook wasted little time in ending the game, leading off the inning with an opposite field homer to right center to give the Crusaders the 5-4 come-from-behind walk-off victory.

Reliever Brandon Willard (2-3) took the loss for Cornerstone. Willard threw the final two innings, giving up a pair of runs on two hits. Krahn and Meyer each had a pair of hits for CU.

In the series finale freshman Evan Piechota (Livonia, Mich. / Stevenson) picked up the win in relief after throwing two innings, giving up just one hit in earning his second win of the season. Senior righty Robert Fraser (Westland, Mich. / John Glenn) went the first five innings, giving up three earned runs and striking out two in a no-decision.

Barron along with Justin Cook and Matthew Cook led MU with two hits a piece. Justin Cook drove in a pair of runs while Charles, Matthew Cook and Dokey also drove in runs in another come-from-behind win.

After honoring its 2013 senior class – Spencer Sarel (Brighton, Mich. / Brighton), Brad Lineberry (Canton, Mich. / Plymouth), Jeff Beckles (Southfield, Mich. / Lathrup), Peter Renaud (Holly, Mich. / Fenton), Austin Delmotte (Romeo, Mich. / Romeo), Josh Vandemark (Hicksville, Ohio / Hicksville), Gooding, Charles, Pelletier, Fraser and the Cook twins between games – the Crusaders found themselves down 5-0 before even coming to bat in game two as the Golden Eagles used four hits while taking advantage of two passed balls, a wild pitch and an error to plate five runs off of Fraser in the first.

MU cut into the lead in the bottom of the inning, scoring a run with two outs as Barron singled to left and after stealing second, came home on Justin Cook's single to center for a 5-1 game.

The Crusaders added two more runs in the second as Matthew Cook led off with a double before moving to third on a ground out. Charles was hit by a pitch before freshman catcher Blake Amhowitz (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Walled Lake Western) drew a walk to load the bases. Another groundout plated Cook with the second MU run before a passed ball allowed Charles to score to pull MU within two at 5-3.

Matthew Cook hit his first home run of the season in the third, clearing the fence in nearly the same spot as his brother Justin did to win game one, to make it 5-4. Beckles followed Cook with a double and came home on a Charles single to tie the game at five.

Justin Cook gave MU a 6-5 lead in the fourth with a RBI triple that scored Barron to give MU its first lead of the game.

Cornerstone tied the game at six-all in the fifth on a Tom Enslen sacrifice fly to center.

Pelletier led off the sixth with a triple to right center and came home two batters later when Justin Cook's fly ball to left was dropped, giving MU a 7-6 lead.

Piechota worked around a lead off double in the seventh, getting a pair of fly outs to end the game and seal the four-game sweep for Madonna.

Reliever Kyle Marburger (2-1) took the loss for Cornerstone, giving up one run in two and two-thirds innings of work. Jon Knapp threw the first three and a third innings, giving up five earned runs. Zach Harbison had a pair of hits for CU while Davis Martin drove in a pair of runs in the loss.

The Crusaders take Sunday off before welcoming in Davenport to the MAC and Ilitch Ballpark on Monday (April 15) for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.