TUCSON, Ariz. – Bri Giordano (SR/Plymouth, Mich.) did her part to help the Madonna University softball team split the first two games of their fourth triple header on their final day at the Tucson Invitational Games on Thursday afternoon. The senior second basemen went 3-for-5 with five RBI, a run scored and a pair of extra-base hits.
The Crusaders opened the day with a 5-3 loss to the University of Jamestown (13-8) before earning their ninth win of the season with a 7-2 victory over Dordt College (4-7). MU improves to 9-7 on the season and 7-7 at the Games.
In the opener, the Jimmies jumped out to a 5-0 lead and the Crusaders could not complete the comeback. The first two Jamestown runs came with two outs as Hanna Dunnigan singled home Kaitlyn Combo and Kylie Macaig doubled to score Dunnigan.
Three more runs on four hits in the fourth created a 5-0 hole for MU. Linda Ontiveros led off with a single then a pair of bunt base hits loaded the bases for Emma Keller who doubled home two more. A sacrifice fly plated the final run for the Jimmies.
The Blue and Gold got a run back in the bottom of the fourth as Mikey Kish (SR/Allen Park, Mich.) drew a leadoff walk and moved to third on Nicky Salloum (SR/Livonia, Mich.)'s double. Giordano then tallied the first of her three hits to score Kish and Salloum and cut the deficit to three.
Another leadoff walk, this time by Giordano, sparked a rally in the sixth. A pair of groundouts moved Giordano to third before Kerstyn Comerzan (SO/Woodhaven, Mich.) doubled to center to make it 5-3. A strikeout ended the inning and a quite seventh ended the game.
Erin Combs (SR/Imlay City, Mich.) took the loss as she allowed five runs on 10 hits in seven innings while five different Crusaders posted a hit in the contest.
In the second game of the afternoon Paige Montague (JR/Clio, Mich.) earned her second win of the season as she allowed just five hits and two first inning runs in a complete game with one walk and six strikeouts.
Four of the Defenders five hits came in the opening stanza as a leadoff double and three singles, two with two outs, led to a pair of early runs for DC, but MU got one back right away. Kish singled with one out in the bottom of the first and scored two batters later on a two-out triple by Giordano.
After a quiet three innings, the offense got a boost from Breanna Keethler (SR/Flat Rock, Mich.) as she delivered the first home run to leave the field this season for the Crusaders with a solo shot in the fourth to tie the score.
A four-run fifth followed a 1-2-3 top half to break the game open. Bria DeBono (SR/Lapeer, Mich.), Morgan Kaiser (SR/Flat Rock, Mich.) and Kish each singled with one out to load the bases for the heart of the order. Salloum came through with a two-run single and Giordano followed with a two-run double for a 6-2 lead.
Then in the sixth, the Crusaders added an insurance run as Comerzan led off with a single and scored three batters later on Kaiser's single to left for the 7-2 win.
Kaiser, Kish and Giordano each posted two hits in the game while Kish scored twice, Giordano drove in three runs and Salloum added a pair of RBI.
Madonna wraps up their 16-game, 7-day spring trip with a 5:30 p.m. contest with Arizona Christian University. Live stats of the Crusaders final game at the Tucson Invitational Games are available via GameChanger by clicking here.