LIVONIA, Mich.- The Madonna University baseball team collected seven extra-base hits and posted crooked numbers in three separate innings to complete a three-game sweep of Rochester University on Sunday at Ilitch Ballpark. 

The Crusaders move to 3-0 to begin the 2019-20 season while the Lakers fall to 0-5 in the fall.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Three first-inning hits gave the Lakers the early lead, but the MU offense blitzed Roosevelt's starter for four runs on four hits and an error. Noah Renaud picked up where he left off on Saturday as he doubled to lead off the game then his speed allowed him to advance to third on a wild pitch and scored on an errant throw from the catcher. Frankie Lucska hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot for the 3-1 lead and Alex Nicholson followed two batters later with a bomb over the right-field fence.
• The Lakers loaded the bases five times in the first six innings, but the Crusaders limited the damage to single runs in the third, fourth and fifth to tie the game at four. 
• RU's starter sat down 10 straight batters after the first until Renaud drew a leadoff walk in the fifth. It sparked a five-run inning as Renaud again scored on a wild pitch, Nicholson tripled home a pair and scored on another wild pitch and Jerad Dokey doubled in one for the 9-4 lead.
• RU added a pair in the sixth, which Noah Moore got back with a two-run home run to left and the Lakers scored again in the seventh to make it 12-7, but Madonna called on John Beuckelare to seal the win with two scoreless innings of relief. 

WHAT DO THE NUMBERS SAY?

• 10: The offense tallied 10 hits, led by Ferguson, Lucska and Nicholson who each had two while six pitchers combined to strikeout 10 Lakers
• 9: MU tallied nine RBI in the win as Moore and Nicholson each had three while Lucska added a pair
• 1-0: Kevin Smith Jr. earned his first career win as a Crusader as he allowed a run on one hit with two walks and a strikeout in one inning of work
• .750: Renaud finished the series hitting .750 with a 2.409 OPS with seven walks and eight runs scored
• .625: Lucska hit .625 in the three games with a 2.125 OPS, three doubles, a home run, five runs scored and five RBI

UP NEXT

• The Blue and Gold wrap up the fall season with a non-conference doubleheader against Cleary University on Saturday, Sept. 12 with first pitch set for 1 p.m. 
• Live coverage will be available via the Madonna Athletics Network at www.mucrusaders.com/live. 

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