THE BASICS
Scores: MU 12, CU 7; MU 12, CU 1 (7)
Records: Madonna University (20-11, 4-0 WHAC), Cornerstone University (8-15, 1-3 WHAC)
Location: Grand Rapids, Mich. = DeWitt Field
 

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.- The Madonna University baseball team belted 25 hits and scored 24 runs in a pair of victories over Cornerstone University at DeWitt Field on Tuesday afternoon. The Crusaders won game one 12-7 before taking game two, 12-1 in seven innings.

Jalen Thomas paced the offense as he hit .625 (5-of-8) with five runs, eight RBI, two doubles and a home run. He also went 2-for-2 on the bases.

GAME 1
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Madonna got on the board first in the fourth as Stephen Parker scored on an error, Thomas scored on a Nick Sykes base hit and a fielder's choice off the bat of Gordon Ferguson plated Joey Pejuan.
• MU made it 5-0 in the fifth as Kyle Aniol walked, Stephen Parker doubled, Frankie Lucska grounded out to score Aniol and a Thomas single plated Parker for the five run advantage.
• Cornerstone got one in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the sixth before the Crusaders broke things open in the seventh.
• Lucska singled home Aniol, Thomas plated a pair with a single, before Noah Moore and Alex Garbacik each drove in a run for a 10-3 lead.
• A two-run double and a pair of singles for the home team in the seventh cut the lead to three, but the Blue and Gold extended the advantage in the eighth as Sykes doubled home a pair of runs for a 12-7 lead.
• John Beuckeleare shut the door on the win as he struck out four of the final six batters in the contest.

WHAT DO THE NUMBERS SAY?

• Thomas and Sykes paced the 14-hit attack with a pair of three-hit performances. Thomas drove in four and scored three times while Sykes drove in three and scored once
• Parker and Moore each had a pair of hits and the former scored four times
• Donovan Thacker (4-2) earned the win as he allowed four runs on nine hits with two walks and four strikeouts while Beuckeleare allowed a walk in his two innings to go with four strikeouts.

GAME 2
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Thomas again got the offense started, this time in the first, as he doubled home a pair and scored on a Sykes ground out
• A Parker sacrifice bunt scored another run, Lucska singled home another before Thomas homered to left to make it 7-0.
• Cornerstone scored in the second on a double, but MU got it right back in the bottom half as Zachary Beadle singled in another run.
• In the fifth MU finished the mercy victory as a passed ball scored a pair, Noah Renaud tripled in another and a Parker ground out made it 12-1 Crusaders.

WHAT DO THE NUMBERS SAY?

• Daniel Gore (2-1) was masterful as he allowed on run on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts while Joe Wozniak allowed a walk in his lone inning of relief.
• Lucska's three hits paced MU's 11-hit attack as he want 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI
• Thomas and Adrian Reed each tallied a pair of hits with the former driving in four and scoring twice
• MU's offense drew five walks in the contest and 10 in the two games.

UP NEXT

• The Blue and Gold return to the diamond on Saturday, Mar. 30 as they travel to Ann Arbor to face Concordia University - Ann Arbor with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
• Live coverage links, if available, will be posted at www.mucrusaders.com.

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