SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – One of the best seasons in the storied history of Madonna baseball came to a close Wednesday (May 18) with an 11-8 setback to the College of Idaho on day two of the NAIA Opening Round in Santa Barbara, Calif. With the loss, the Crusaders end their highly-successful 2016 campaign with a record of 41-17 and say goodbye to a celebrated cast of nine seniors.
The 2016 edition of Madonna baseball earned the program's fifth trip to the NAIA National Tournament (Opening Round) after shattering MU's consecutive wins mark with 23 straight victories from April 13 to May 11. This year's Crusaders also made history by bringing home the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) Regular Season and Tournament Championships in the same season for only the third time in program history (2006 & 2008).
On Wednesday, the Crusaders were able to recover from an early three run deficit by plating six runs in the third inning. The high octane inning was highlighted by RBI doubles from Levi Larmour (Oakville, Ontario/Mesa CC) and John Lauro (Rochester Hills, Mich./UD Jesuit High School) while Shane Dokey (Howell, Mich./Brighton High School) and Taylor Grzelakowski (Fraser, Mich./Fraser High School) were also able to bring runs home in the frame.
Matt Deneau (Amherstburg, Ontario/Saint Thomas Villanova) came around to bat for the second time in the third inning and sent a single back up the middle to drive in two runs, giving the Crusaders a 7-4 advantage after three played.
The lead didn't last long as the College of Idaho scored five runs in the top of the fourth to take the lead for good in the 11-8 decision with the Crusaders.
Before the six-run third inning, junior shortstop Ryan Lambrecht (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion High School) got the Crusaders on the board with a RBI single to right field that scored Dokey. Lambrecht would send Dokey around to score one final time in the eighth inning after the junior connected on his second RBI single of the game.
Dokey, one of the nine seniors on head coach Greg Haeger's squad, paced the Crusaders with a 4-for-4 day at the plate. Dokey added three runs scored and drove one in while Lambrecht followed with a 4-for-5 line with a pair of runs batted in. Larmour finished his Madonna career with a 2-for-5 outing (one RBI, one run scored).
Six pitchers appeared in the game for the Crusaders, including senior right-hander Adam Prashad (Mississauga, Ontario/Mississauga Secondary) who tossed three innings of two-hit ball. Patrick Wierimaa (Redford, Mich./Union High School) and Bobby St. Pierre (Windsor, Ontario/Crowder CC) combined to work the ninth inning with St. Pierre recording a strikeout against his only batter faced.
