Site: Livonia, Mich. (Ilitch Ballpark)
Scores: Siena Heights 10, Madonna 7; Madonna 11, Siena Heights 5
Records: MU (15-12; 2-4 WHAC); SHU (9-10; 3-3 WHAC)
Next MU event: Saturday, April 5 – vs. Northwestern Ohio (Ilitch Ballpark) – 1 p.m.
LIVONIA, Mich. – After 25 games away from home, the Madonna University baseball team finally got to play at Ilitch Ballpark on Wednesday (April 2) and came away with a split in its Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference doubleheader against Siena Heights. SHU won game one by a 10-7 final before MU overcame a SHU rally for an 11-5 win in the nightcap.
The game two win snapped MU's four-game losing streak and moved MU to 2-4 in the WHAC.
After both sides stranded runners in the first inning of game one, Siena Heights posted seven runs on four hits in the top of the second to take a 7-0 lead.
MU answered back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame on a RBI single from senior Donny Holland (White Lake, Mich. / Lakeland) and a sacrifice fly from sophomore Ben Matigian (Livonia, Mich. / Churchill) to cut its deficit to 7-2. MU added three more runs in the third on a two-RBI double to center from Holland and a wild pitch to make it 7-5.
The momentum was short lived as SHU added two runs in the fourth for a 9-5 lead.
The Crusaders scored two more runs in the sixth on a sacrifice fly from senior Victor Barron (Fowlerville, Mich. / Fowlerville) and took advantage of a Saint miscue to pull within two, 9-7.
MU could not get on the board again as SHU added its 10th run in the seventh for the 10-7 final.
Senior Tyler Schofield (Windsor, Ontario / FJ Brennan) took the loss for Madonna, giving up seven runs on five hits. Holland was MU's star at the plate in the day's opener, going 2-for-4 with three runs batted in.
Travis Mielcarek (1-2) earned the win for SHU, throwing four innings of relief, allowing just one hit. Austin Hauck had three hits for SHU in the win.
The momentum Siena Heights had in game one carried over to the nightcap as the Saints scored three unearned runs in the first inning to take a 3-0 lead before MU came to bat.
The Crusaders answered back with a pair of runs in their half of the first as freshman Ryan Lambrecht (Lake Orion, Mich. / Lake Orion) led off and Matigian followed with a double to put two on. Barron hit his second sacrifice fly of the day to plate Lambrecht for a 3-1 game. A RBI single from freshman Taylor Grzelakowski (Fraser, Mich. / Fraser) scored Matigian for a 3-2 contest one batter later.
MU took a 5-3 lead in the second, scoring three times with two outs for its first lead of the day. Sophomore Shane Dokey (Howell, Mich. / Brighton) led off with a single and after stealing second, moved to third on a ground out from Holland. After a walk to Lambrecht, Matigian singled home Dokey to tie the game at 3-3. Barron followed with a single that scored Lambrecht for a 4-3 lead before Matigian stole home for a 5-3 lead.
SHU tied the game in the fourth, using three straight hits to open the inning. With two on and no one out, senior Travis Schuba (Rapid City, Mich. / Kalkaska) was called upon for the second straight game. Schuba, who threw four innings in game one of the day, then issued an intentional walk to load the bases before getting back-to-back force outs and a fly ball to end the threat and keep the game tied at five.
MU retook the lead with five runs in the bottom of the frame to take a 10-5 lead. MU's first run of the inning came in on a balk before Grzelakowski singled home a pair of runs for an 8-5 lead. Back-to-back doubles from freshman Zack Schmidtke (Dearborn Heights, Mich. / Divine Child Catholic) and sophomore John Lauro(Rochester Hills, Mich. / University of Detroit Jesuit) scored MU's next two runs for the five run lead.
MU added an insurance run in the sixth when Lauro doubled home Grzelakowski for the 11-5 final.
Schuba was the story of game two, coming back in after one of the longer outings of his career in game one, to throw three innings in game two. Schuba (3-1) scattered three hits while striking out two for his third win of the season.
Lauro had three hits and a pair of runs batted in while Grzelakowski drove in three runs and scored a pair.
Justin McPherson (0-1) took the loss for SHU, allowing four runs in his two innings of work. Three Saints had a pair of hits in the nightcap.
MU continues its homestand with a four-game league series against Northwestern Ohio starting on Saturday (April 5). First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Ilitch Ballpark.
