LIVONIA, Mich. - For the second straight day, the Madonna University softball team won game one of a Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference doubleheader in walk-off fashion before cruising to a game two win over the University of Northwestern Ohio at University Field on Sunday afternoon. 

The Blue and Gold improve to 19-5 on the season and 8-2 in WHAC play while the Racers fall to 19-12 on the season and 7-5 in league play. 

GAME 1: Madonna 5, UNOH 4
Madonna starter Madisen Henry allowed two baserunners in the first three innings and didn't allow a hit until the fourth. Kattie Popko got the Crusaders on the board with her fourth home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth, but four hits in the fifth for the Racers gave the visitors the 4-1 lead. 

Madonna quickly answered in the bottom of the inning as Jenna Gilbert continued her torrid weekend with her third pinch hit in as many games, this time a leadoff double. Amy Clegg followed with a base hit and Veronica Pezzoni tripled them both in to cut the deficit to one. Popko came through again with two outs as she doubled home Pezzoni to tie the game at 4. 

Henry settled in, allowing just one more hit, and allowed the offense to come through in the seventh. Alyssa Fessenden was hit-by-a-pitch, Pezzoni singled, Sarah Holton walked, and, with Popko at-bat, a wild pitch allowed Fessenden to scamper home for the walk-off win. 

• TOP PERFORMERS
  • Pezzoni: 3-for-4, 1 Run, 2 RBI
  • Popko: 2-for-3, 1 Run, 2 RBI
  • Clegg: 2-for-3, 1 Run
• PITCHING DECISION
  • Win: Henry (5-1); 7 IP, 6 hits, 4 runs, 3 BB, 5 K
  • Loss: Stapleton (1-3)

GAME 2: Madonna 12, UNOH 6
It was an eventful first three innings as the teams combined for 14 runs on 16 hits. The Racers scored first with an RBI double in the first, but the Blue and Gold picked up where they left off in game one as Brooklyn Dolloff doubled and scored two batters later on a Brooke Garbarino single. Gilbert, Holton, and Makayla Bassage followed with RBI base hits to go up 4-1. 

A pair of home runs for the Racers in the second tied the game and a pair of unearned runs in the third gave the visitors the 6-4 advantage. The offense responded in the bottom of the third with another four-run outburst. Gilbert and Emily Pawelski led off with a pair of hits and Holton singled in Gilbert before a wild pitch tied the game. A fielder's choice off the bat of Clegg put MU ahead and a Dolloff groundout made it 8-6. 

Gilbert added to the lead with her sixth hit in six at-bats, a solo home run to right-center in the fourth. More insurance runs came in the fifth as Dolloff plated another, Popko drove in one with a sacrifice fly and a two-out RBI single from Garbarino accounted for the 12-6 victory. 

• TOP PERFORMERS
  • Gilbert: 3-for-4, 3 Runs, 2 RBI
  • Pezzoni: 3-for-4, 1 Run
  • Garbarino: 2-for-4, 2 RBI
  • Holton: 2-for-3, 1 Run, 2 RBI
• PITCHING DECISION
  • Win: Maeson Schlaud (3-2); 6 IP, 5 hits, 2 unearned runs, 2 BB, 6 K
  • Loss: Brunst (8-3)

UP NEXT
Madonna hits the road for a midweek conference doubleheader against Siena Heights University in Adrian at Christensen Memorial Field on Wednesday, April 21 at 3:30 p.m. Live coverage links will be available at mucrusaders.com. Spectators are not allowed to watch from Siena Heights property, including parking lots and the service drive.

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