GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A pair of pitchers' duels opened up this weekend's four-game Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) series between Madonna baseball and Cornerstone University on Friday (March 25) in Grand Rapids, Mich. The host Golden Eagles took game one, 2-0, before the Crusaders bounced back to earn a 3-2 win in Friday's nightcap to move to 11-12 on the season and 1-2 in WHAC play.
The Golden Eagles ended Friday with a 7-14 overall mark and a 1-1 WHAC record.
GAME ONE – CORNERSTONE 2, MADONNA 0
Evan Piechota (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson High School) continued his fine senior campaign by striking out 10 Golden Eagles through eight innings while only allowing five hits and one walk. Piechota surrendered two runs, a home run in the second and a RBI single in the eighth, to post his sixth quality start in as many outings this season.
Despite posting another solid outing, Piechota was handed the unlucky loss and moved to 3-3 on the season as the Crusader bats couldn't quite crack Golden Eagles starter Ben Sheckler in the opener. Sheckler (4-1) went an equal eight innings, allowing five hits and a pair of walks while striking out seven Crusaders.
The Crusaders threatened throughout the opener, putting runners in scoring position the majority of the game, including three-straight frames from the second-to-fourth innings. A play away from tying or taking the lead on many occasions, the Crusaders could not get the timely hit needed as the Golden Eagles held on for the 2-0 victory.
The Crusaders' greatest chance to score came in the second inning when a would-be RBI single up the middle by Levi Larmour (Oakville, Ontario/Mesa CC) was taken away by the Golden Eagles' second baseman on a diving play. The diving play and eventual 4-3 put out saved a run and allowed the home team to move ahead 1-0 in the home half of the frame off of a solo home run.
The would-be RBI basehit would've plated junior shortstop Ryan Lambrecht (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion High School) who led the Crusaders in the opener with a 2-for-4 effort at the plate.
With 10 more punch outs in Friday's opener, Piechota now has 36 strikeouts through 42 1/3 innings pitched in 2016. The nine-inning opener lasted one hour and 56 minutes with Piechota and Sheckler working on the mound.
GAME TWO – MADONNA 3, CORNERSTONE 2
A sac fly off the bat of John Lauro (Rochester Hills, Mich./UD-Jesuit High School) brought in Shane Dokey (Howell, Mich./Brighton High School) for the Crusaders first run of the day in the top of the first inning. Lauro's sac fly and Dokey's hustle to the plate gave the Crusaders a 1-0 lead and allowed junior pitcher Johno Rodriguez (Sterling Heights, Mich./Indian Hills CC) to work ahead in the early stages of Friday's second game.
Taking advantage of the Crusaders early lead, Rodriguez was able to pick up his team-leading fourth win of the season after going 4 2/3 innings and striking out five. The junior pitcher gave up one earned run, a third inning RBI single that tied the game, 1-1.
The Crusaders answered the Golden Eagles' game-tying hit a half inning later to take a 2-1 lead when reigning WHAC Player of the Week Zack Byron (Dexter, Mich./Macomb CC) continued his torrid pace with a single to left field that scored Chase Dobbie (Mississauga, Ontario/Meadowvale Secondary). Dobbie came on to courtesy run for catcher Matt Deneau (Amherstburg, Ontario/Saint Thomas Villanova) who reached base with a one-out walk to get the fourth-inning rally started.
The one-run lead didn't last for long as the Golden Eagles responded with an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth to deadlock the nightcap at 2-2. The second tie of the game lasted as long as the first as Larmour stole second, forcing a throw that allowed freshman Jalen Thomas (Southfield, Mich./Lathrup High School) to break for home and score, plating the eventual game-winning run in the top of the fifth.
Setup man Patrick Wierimaa (Redford, Mich./Union High School) came on in relief of Rodriguez to work one inning of one-hit and one-strikeout ball before handing off to Bobby St. Pierre (Windsor, Ontario/Crowder CC) who went 1 1/3 to earn his fifth save of the campaign. St. Pierre struck out three, including the first batter he faced in the bottom of the sixth to get the Crusaders out the frame with the game-winning run on base.
Dokey went 2-for-3 with a run scored in the nightcap to lead the Crusaders while Thomas came up big in the sixth with a single and a pair of stolen bases. Mitch Hudvagner (Cottom, Ontario/Essex District High School) drew two walks while finishing with a 1-for-1 line at the plate. Byron and Lauro batted in a run each to help the Crusaders earn the one-run victory and the Friday split.
