ST. LOUIS, Mo.-- The Madonna University baseball team had the bats working against Harris-Stowe State University in a three-game series the past two days, sweeping the series. The Crusaders shut out the Hornets 17-0 in the first game, won a slugfest 29-20 in the nightcap on Sunday, and closed out the series with a 16-5 win on Monday.

HOW IT HAPPENED - GAME 1
The Crusaders caught fire in the top of the second inning, with a Jace Matkin solo home run. After a groundout, Matt Staelgrave followed that up with another solo shot. After three walks, Alex Garbacik hit a grand slam to make the Madonna lead 6-0. Following a single and a walk, Matkin would earn another RBI on a single, scoring Aaron Sexton. Staelgrave would also hit an RBI single, scoring Zachary Beadle. Kyle Aniol reached first on an error, scoring Matkin and Ryan Celmer. By the time the inning was all said and done, six Madonna hitters reached the plate twice, and the lead was 10-0.

In the third, Madonna added four more runs thanks to the bat of Matkin, who hit a grand slam to left. In the fourth, Madonna tallied three more thanks to home runs from Nick Krol and Ben Stesiak, to make the score 17-0.

Madonna was commanded on the mound by Nate Blain, who went five innings only allowing one hit, and had eight strikeouts. Blain earned the win, his first of the season.

GAME 2
Madonna continued their hot bats from game one, scoring three in the first inning of game two. Garbacik tripled to lead off the game. After Sexton walked, Beadle hit an RBI single, scoring Garbacik. Matkin would continue his strong day, doubling to score Sexton. Beadle would score on a Celmer sacrifice fly to end the half of the inning up 3-0.

Matkin hit his third home run of the day in the third, and Nick Krol would later hit an RBI double. Already leading 7-2 going into the fourth, Madonna put up another six runs, started by Matkin's fourth home run of the day, which scored Steffen Dyl. Staelgrave would then hit his second home run of the doubleheader, scoring Celmer. Nick Krol would then join the multi-home run party, blasting his second to put the Crusaders up 13-0.

Harris-Stowe showed fight, however, scoring ten in the bottom of the four to make it a 13-12 Madonna lead. The Crusaders would add seven more in the 6th, but would have it canceled out by a seven spot for the Hornets in the 6th, as well. Ryan Celmer would homer in the top of the 7th, and Madonna's hot bats would add four more in the eighth, before Victor Mencotti would shut the door on Harris-Stowe State, ending the game at 29-20.

GAME 3
The Crusaders got off to another hot start in Game 3, with a Beadle RBI double in the first inning opening the scoring. That was followed up with back to back home runs by Matkin and Staelgraeve to make the score 4-0 after the first. Madonna would add six more runs in the 2nd, thanks to a rally that included another Matkin home run, and a Kyle Revere double.

The Hornets offense was stifled by great work out of the bullpen from Danny Medlock and John Beuckelaere, Madonna would add a few additional runs throughout the rest of the game, including a Revere home run. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Jace Matkin had an extraordinary series, going 13-18 between the three games, with 6 home runs, 19 RBI's, and 10 runs scored
• Matkin wrote his name all over the Madonna record book:
  • Set school record for RBIs in a game
  • Tied school record for home runs in a game (twice)
  • Tied school record for doubles in a game
  • Tied school record for hits in a game
  • Tied school record for at-bats in a game, along with Beadle, Celmer and Krol
• Four of the five Crusaders who homered in Game 1 also homered in Game 2
• Games 1 and 2 rank in the top-three of most home runs by the Crusaders in school history
• Crusaders homered 15 times during the three-game series 
• Madonna outscored Harris-Stowe State 62-25 throughout the series

UP NEXT 
The Crusaders open their Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) play on Saturday, with a doubleheader at Rochester University.


CONNECT WITH THE CRUSADERS: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
SUBSCRIBE/DOWNLOAD TEAM SCHEDULES: Download Center
DOWNLOAD THE NEW MOBILE APP: Google Play | iOS