Site: Marion, Ill. (Rent One Park)
Scores: St. Francis 3, Madonna 1; St. Francis 5, Madonna 4
Records: MU (4-4), USF (5-3)
Next MU event: Sunday, Feb. 23 – vs. St. Francis (Marion, Ill.) – 12 p.m.

MARION, Ill. – The Madonna University baseball team continued its season opening road swing and opened a four-game series against St. Francis (Ill.) on Saturday (Feb. 22), dropping both ends of the doubleheader to the Saints by finals of 3-1 and 5-4 at Rent One Park.

Freshman Thomas Daffern (Grand Blanc, Mich. / Grand Blanc) and sophomore John Lauro (Rochester Hills, Mich. / University of Detroit Jesuit) each had a pair of hits on the day while Lauro drove in two runs as well. Sophomore Evan Piechota (Livonia, Mich. / Stevenson) took the loss for MU in game one while junior Jake Varcie (New Boston, Mich. / Huron) took the loss in relief in game two.

Game One
The Saints got on the board in the bottom of the third, taking advantage of an error and three base hits to score all three of their runs off of Piechota.

The Crusaders – who stranded runners in the second, third and seventh innings – got on the board with a run in the sixth when sophomore Shane Dokey (Howell, Mich. / Brighton) reached on a one-out triple before scoring on a Lauro ground out to make it 3-1.

MU threatened in the seventh as two batters reached base but neither came around to score and the Crusaders dropped the opener by the 3-1 final.

Piechota (1-1) threw six innings, giving up a pair of earned runs while walking four and allowing five hits for his first loss of the season. Adam Panayotovich (1-0) earned the win for USF, throwing a complete game and scattering six Madonna hits while striking out four.

Game Two
After getting out of a two-on, no out situation in the top of the first, MU wasted little time in scoring in the nightcap, plating a single run in the bottom of the opening frame to take a 1-0 lead.

Freshman Ryan Lambrecht (Lake Orion, Mich. / Lake Orion) led off with a single and moved to third on a double by Dokey before coming home on a Saints' miscue for the 1-0 lead.

The lead held until the top of the fourth when the Saints got to MU freshman starter Alex DeYonker (Livonia, Mich. / Franklin). USF used four hits along with a walk to take a 4-1 lead.

MU got a single run back in the fifth when freshman catcher Zach Tallman (Woodhaven, Mich. / Woodhaven) led off with a walk. Senior Ryan Lech (Macomb, Mich. / L'Anse Creuse North) ran for Tallman and came around to score on a single from Lauro to make it 4-2.

The Crusaders evened the game in the bottom of the sixth as Daffern reached on one-out single before moving to second on a single from sophomore centerfielder Christian Holder (Dearborn Heights, Mich. / Divine Child Catholic). Both runners came home on a bases clearing single by senior designated hitter Joel Cooper (LaSalle, Ontario / Sandwich) to tie the game at four-all.

The Saints scored what proved to be the game winning run in the top of the seventh with two outs. Joe Ruge reached on a walk and then stole second before being replaced by pinch runner Cody Columbus. Columbus came around to score when a ball off the bat of Brandon Mendoza was thrown wild to first allowing Columbus to score and make it 5-4.

Freshman right fielder Dalton Ovesen (Oxford, Mich. / Lake Orion) reached in the last of the seventh after getting hit by a pitch but freshman pinch runner Dee Jawad (Dearborn Heights, Mich. / Crestwood) was cut down trying to steal second and Ruge recorded the final our via a strikeout to give USF the dramatic 5-4 win.

Jake Butler (1-1) earned the win for USF, throwing the first six innings, allowing four runs on eight hits while striking out five. Ruge picked up his first save of the year by throwing the seventh. Varcie (1-1) took the loss for Madonna, giving up one run and a hit while walking one and striking out one in his inning of work. DeYonker went the first four innings for MU, scattering six hits while striking out one and giving up four runs. Junior Justin Hicks (Fowlerville, Mich. / Fowlerville) worked two innings of relief for MU, giving up a hit and striking out one.

The Crusaders and Saints square off in another doubleheader on Sunday. First pitch at Rent One Park – home of the Frontier League's Southern Illinois Miners – is set for 12 p.m. (EST).