Reed finished 6-for-8 on day one of NAIA opening round
6
Marian (Ind.) MAR 30-20
8
Winner Madonna (Mich.) MUBS 36-20
Marian (Ind.) MAR
30-20
6
Final
8
Madonna (Mich.) MUBS
36-20
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Marian (Ind.) MAR 0 1 1 2 0 2 0 0 0 6 12 0
Madonna (Mich.) MUBS 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 5 0 8 11 4

W: Beuckelaere, John (1) L: Darter, Ethan (1)

3
Madonna (Mich.) MUBS 36-22
6
Winner Tennessee Wesleyan TWU 49-8
Madonna (Mich.) MUBS
36-22
3
Final
6
Tennessee Wesleyan TWU
49-8
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Madonna (Mich.) MUBS 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 10 2
Tennessee Wesleyan TWU 2 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 6 9 1

W: Martin, Irving (1) L: Herrera, Blake (1) S: Granath, Jack (1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | John Lauro

@MUCrusadersBSB rallies for comeback win over Marian but falls to Tennessee Wesleyan

THE BASICS

Scores: MU 8, Marian 6; MU 3 TWU 6

Records: Madonna University (36-21); Marian University (30-20); Tennessee Wesleyan University (49-8)

Location: Hunter Wright Stadium, Kingsport, Tenn.

KINGSPORT, Tenn.- The Madonna University Crusaders earned their first opening round victory since 2013 as they overcame a five run deficit to beat the Marian University Knights before dropping a hard fought nightcap to No. 2 Tennessee Wesleyan 6-3. The Crusaders improve to 36-21 on the season and await the winner of Campbellsville and Marian at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow night.

GAME 1: Madonna 8, Marian 6

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

  • The Crusaders fell to an early 2-0 deficit through the top of the third inning before Jalen Thomas stepped to the plate and hit a solo shot over the left field wall to cut the lead in half

  • The Knights would extend their lead over the next three innings, scoring two runs in the fourth and two in the sixth, leading 6-1 through six innings

  • MU scratched a pair of runs across as Adrian Reed bunted for a base hit with one out before Noah Renaud walked and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Thomas sent a long fly ball to center field that would score Reed and advance Renaud to third base. Frankie Lucska was intentionally walked for the second time, bringing Nick Sykes to the plate who singled the left center and scored Renaud to reduce the deficit to 6-3.

  • The Blue and Gold used an enormous eighth inning to erase the rest of the five-run deficit and complete the comeback. Jerad Dokey walked to lead off the inning before Reed singled to center and Renaud was hit by a pitch. With the bases loaded and one out, Thomas was hit by the first pitch that the new Marian pitcher threw, Lucska walked, and Sykes hit a sacrifice fly to center to tie the game at 6-6. Gordon Ferguson singled through the left side of the infield to give the Crusaders their first lead of the game at 7-6 before a Cole Rize pinch hit single drove in Lucska and added an insurance run.

  • John Beuckeleare closed the door in the ninth with a groundout and two strikeouts to preserve the MU victory

WHAT DO THE NUMBERS SAY?

  • MU was outhit 12-11 and committed four errors early in the contest

  • Jack Ferguson started on the mound for the Crusaders and lasted 5.2 innings, striking out two Marian batters and allowing three earned runs and five walks

  • Bueckeleare earned the win for MU, replacing Ferguson in the sixth and pitching 3.1 scoreless innings with four strikeouts

  • Seven Crusaders had hits in the contest, led by Reed who finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored

  • Thomas finished the game with three RBI while Sykes finished with two

COACH'S CORNER

  • "I was really proud of the guys the way they stuck with it. We were down 6-1 in late innings and the guys battled back, never gave up, and found a way to have a big inning. It was a great outing by Bueckeleare to come out and throw up a bunch of zero's and give our offense the chance to have that big inning." - Head Coach Ted Falkner

GAME 2: Madonna 3, Tennessee Wesleyan 6

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

  • MU struck first with two runs in the top of the first inning thanks to an RBI single by Lucska followed by a triple off the left center wall for a 2-0 lead

  • The Bulldogs evened the score in the bottom of the first thanks to a two-run blast over the right field wall

  • Thomas led the third inning off with a single and was moved to second base by a Lucska groundout before stealing third. Sykes stepped to the plate and hit a line drive right back up the middle to regain the lead 3-2

  • Much like the first inning, the Bulldogs had an answer in the bottom half of the third, scoring two runs to claim their first lead of the game 4-3

  • The Bulldogs would add insurance runs in the seventh and eighth innings and despite threats in the final innings, MU was not able to mount another comeback

WHAT DO THE NUMBERS SAY?

  • MU outhit the Bulldogs 10-9 in the contest but committed two errors compared to one by TWU

  • Reed continued to swing a hot bat, finishing 3-for-4 while Sykes added three hits and Lucska added two

  • Daniel Gore threw 5.1 innings, allowing two earned runs and three walks while striking out four

  • Ross Rickel replaced Gore on the mound for 1.2 innings and allowed just one run with two strikeouts before handing the ball to Bueckeleare

UP NEXT

  • The Crusaders will await the winner of Campbellsville and Marian tomorrow under the lights at Hunter Wright Stadium in an elimination game. First pitch is slated for 6:00 p.m.

  • Live coverage links of the opening round will be posted at www.mucrusaders.com.  

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