LIVONIA, Mich. -- Madonna baseball fell for the first time in eight outings on Saturday (April 2) as the Northwestern Ohio Racers won the opener by a 12-5 final tally at Ilitch Ballpark. Game two, the last contest in a scheduled four-game series, was canceled due to inclement weather moving in and will not be made up.
The Crusaders dropped to 17-13 overall and 7-3 in the WHAC with Saturday's setback while the Racers improved one game over .500 in league play at 6-5 (17-10 overall).
Saturday started off on a high note for the Crusaders as senior second baseman Shane Dokey (Howell, Mich./Bright High School) connected on a no-doubter home run well over the left field wall to give MU a 2-0 edge. Dokey's two-run blast marked his third of the season and also lifted his RBI tally to 17 through 30 games.
The two-run first would be the last time the Crusaders scored until the sixth where they scratched across a run on a Matt Deneau (Amherstburg, Ontario/Saint Thomas Villanova) triple to right center that scored Jimmy White (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sinclair CC). Deneau's triple – the second of his MU career – brought the Crusaders to within three, 5-2, before the Racers pulled away in the later innings to win by the 12-5 final.
A John Lauro (Rochester Hills, Mich./UD-Jesuit High School) RBI double in the seventh and a Taylor Grzelakowski (Fraser, Mich./Fraser High School) RBI single to center concluded the scoring for the Crusaders on Saturday.
Grzelakowski went 2-for-3 with two walks and the RBI in the eighth while Lauro and White recorded 2-for-5 days. Both of White's hits were doubles, one down the left field line and the other a deep shot to right center. Zack Byron (Dexter, Mich./Macomb CC) finished with a 2-for-4 game with two runs.
Despite the setback in game one on Saturday, the Crusaders were able to take the series over the Racers after sweeping Friday's action.
The Crusaders return to action Saturday (April 9) for the first two of a four-game home set opposite Aquinas. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. Saturday.
