Site: Lima, Ohio (Racers Field)
Score: Madonna 7, UNOH 5 (10 inn.); Madonna 3, UNOH 1
Records: MU (27-7, 14-1 WHAC), UNOH (18-19, 12-10 WHAC)
Next MU event: Wednesday, April 24 – vs. Concordia (Ilitch Ballpark) – 2 p.m.

LIMA, Ohio. – After squandering a four-run lead in the bottom of the ninth, the Madonna University baseball team had to go extra innings and used a two-RBI single from freshman right fielder Christian Holder (Dearborn Heights, Mich. / Divine Child Catholic) to down Northwestern Ohio by a 7-5 final in game one before wrapping up a sweep with a 3-1 victory in the nightcap.

Holder led MU with a career-best four runs batted in during the game one win. Senior center fielder Alex Charles (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Brother Rice Catholic) went 3-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored while senior left fielder Steve Pelletier (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Harrison matched Holder with two base hits.

Senior righty Matthew Cook (Dresden, Ontario / Lambton Kent Secondary) picked up the win after a disastrous ninth inning that saw UNOH score four times to tie the game. Cook sent the Racers down in order in the bottom of the 10th for his fifth win of the season. Senior right hander Jeremy Gooding (Livonia, Mich. / Divine Child Catholic) went the first eight for MU, scattering three hits and allowing just one run while striking out five in a no decision.

After two scoreless innings, Geoff Bowers led off the third for UNOH with a single and moved to third on a stolen base and an error before coming home on a wild pitch to give the home side a 1-0 lead.

MU tied the game in the fourth as junior shortstop Victor Barron (Fowlerville, Mich. / Fowlerville) led off with a single and after moving to second on a single from senior third baseman Justin Cook (Dresden, Ontario / Lambton Kent Secondary), both runners moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt from freshman first baseman John Lauro (Rochester Hills, Mich. / University of Detroit Jesuit). Charles singled home Barron with the tying run for a 1-1 game.

A Pelletier single to left in the fifth scored sophomore courtesy runner Mike Tibbits (Plymouth, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central) from third to give MU a 2-1 lead.

MU tacked on another run in the sixth on a RBI ground out from senior right fielder Jeff Beckles (Southfield, Mich. / Lathrup) that scored pinch runner Ben Matigian (Livonia, Mich. / Churchill), who was running for Lauro, for a 3-1 lead

Holder drove in the first two of his four runs in the eighth, delivering a two-out single that scored Lauro and Charles for a 5-1 lead.

UNOH went down quietly in the eighth but erupted for four runs in the ninth, starting with a leadoff home run from Jose Gonzalez that made it 5-2. Cook induced a groundout for the first out but the next five Racers reached base to tie the game at 5-5. A double play ball ended the inning and sent the game to the decisive 10th inning.

Justin Cook led off the 10th with a walk and stole second before a walk to junior designated hitter Ryan Lech (Macomb, Mich. / L'Anse Creuse North) put two on. After a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, Holder singled to score both runners and give MU a 7-5 lead.

Matthew Cook then sent UNOH down in order in the bottom of the frame for the win.

Junior Santos (0-1) took the loss for UNOH, giving up both runs in the 10th. Santos walked two and struck out a pair in his inning and a third of work. Cesar Loiz and Bowers led UNOH with two hits in the opener.

Four different Crusaders recorded hits in the nightcap which turned into a pitchers' duel between MU freshman righty Evan Piechota (Livonia, Mich. / Stevenson) and UNOH's Engel Diaz early.

Freshman second baseman Shane Dokey (Howell, Mich. / Brighton) and junior catcher Donny Holland (White Lake, Mich. / Lakeland) along with Barron and Charles posted hits for the Crusaders in the 3-1 win.

An error allowed Justin Cook to reach to open the second. Cook stole second then moved to third on a wild pitch and came home on a Charles' single to left, giving MU a 1-0 lead.

The MU lead grew to 2-0 in the third as Barron reached on a one-out triple and came home on Cook's sacrifice fly to center, giving MU a two-run cushion.

Piechota allowed just two base runners through the first three innings before running into trouble in the fourth. The first two Racers reached thanks to an error and a hit batter before a single loaded the bases with one out. Piechota got Bowers to line out and a foul pop by Ryan Lozada ended the inning, as Piechota escaped unscathed.

UNOH got on the board in the fifth as Ben Smith reached on a one-out triple and came home on a ground out by Alex Leach, cutting the MU lead in half, 2-1.

The Crusaders matched the Racers with a run in the top of the sixth when Tibbits – who was running for Matthew Cook after a two-out walk – stole second and came home when a ball off of Charles' bat was misplayed for a 3-1 lead.

Senior righty Josh Vandemark (Hicksville, Ohio / Hicksville) came in for the sixth and seventh and allowed just a single and a walk while striking out one in his two innings of work for his first collegiate save.

Diaz (1-2) took the loss for UNOH, giving up two runs in his four and two-thirds innings of work. Diaz allowed just two hits but walked three in the loss. Smith was the lone Racer to record multiple hits as UNOH out hit MU 5-4.

The Crusaders return home on Wednesday (April 24) to host Concordia in the final home game of the season at the Madonna Athletic Complex, home of Ilitch Ballpark.