TUCSON, Ariz. – In the final game on Sunday, the Madonna University softball team ended a four-game losing streak with a 5-2 win over Concordia University (Neb.) at the Tucson Invitational Games in the Lincoln Park North Complex.
The win moves the Crusaders to 5-4 on the season and 4-0 when the opponent scores two runs or less. The Bulldogs fell to 7-4 on the year.
Erin Combs (SR/Imlay City, Mich.) improved to 3-1 with a 1.73 ERA as she allowed just two runs on seven hits in her fourth complete game of the campaign. She also struck out two and walked one.
Nicky Salloum (SR/Livonia, Mich.) led the Crusaders nine-hit output with a 3-for-4 night with two runs scored. Six other players tallied a hit while Halee Warren (SO/Canton, Mich.) accounted for two of the three RBI in the contest.
The Blue and Gold scored in four of the seven innings, which included a pair of first inning tallies. Morgan Kaiser (SR/Flat Rock, Mich.) led off the game with a single, moved to second on a Salloum fielder's choice and a Kerstyn Comerzan(SO/Woodhaven, Mich.) walk loaded the bases. Warren followed with a two-run single to right for the early lead.
After a quiet middle innings that saw Combs sit down seven in a row, the Madonna offense got back to work. Salloum led off the fifth with a double, moved to third on Bri Giordano (SR/Plymouth, Mich.)'s groundout and scored on a wild pitch.
The Bulldogs got to Combs in the bottom of the inning as back-to-back two-out singles and a stolen base made it 3-1.
Julia Cavagnini (JR/Livonia, Mich.) opened the sixth with a single and her pinch runner, Bria DeBono (SR/Lapeer, Mich.), scored three batters later on a two-out double by Mikey Kish (SR/Allen Park, Mich.).  A solo home run for Concordia was the final tally for the home team, but MU was not finished.
A passed ball on a third strike to Breanna Keethler (SR/Flat Rock, Mich.) led to the Crusaders final run. Emma Sikina (FR/Woodhaven, Mich.) followed the miscue with a single and a sacrifice bunt by DeBono moved the runners up before Becky Giacobbi (SO/Livonia, Mich.) reached on another CU error for the fifth run of the game.
Madonna continues play in the Tucson Invitational Games on Monday with a doubleheader against Dakota State University and Dakota Wesleyan University before taking a day off on Tuesday. Live stats of all Crusader games in Tucson, Ariz. are available free by signing up at GameChanger.com and following Madonna Crusaders Softball.