DETROIT - The Madonna University baseball team opened Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference play with a doubleheader sweep over Lawrence Tech University on Monday from The Corner Ballpark in Detroit. The Crusaders won the first game 4-2 before completing the sweep in the nightcap with a 10-9 victory over the host Blue Devils. 

Game 1:

Game one was scoreless until the top of the fifth when the Crusaders loaded the bases, and Kyle Revere was able to come across on a wild pitch and make it 1-0. Later in the top half of the frame, the Crusaders made it 3-0 after an RBI single by Matt Staelgraeve that scored Anthony Sharkas and Alex Garbacik. 

Madonna extended their lead to 4-0 when Zachary Beadle hit a solo home run to left center field. The Blue Devils tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning and scored two runs, but that was all they could get as Andrew Severini slammed the door shut and struck out LTU's final hitter to end the game. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 

• Madonna got a solid start out of Nate Blain, as he went six shutout innings, struck out five batters, and only walked two. 
• Beadle hit his second home run of the year, the first since the season opener at Georgetown on February 18th. 
• Aiden Shipmen recorded a stolen base. 

Game 2:

The final game of the day had a lot more offense than the first. Madonna opened the scoring in the first inning with a Staelgraeve RBI double that brought home Sharkas and made it 1-0. A sacrifice fly by Aaron Sexton scored Shipmen in the top of the second and made it 2-0 Crusaders. LTU responded by scoring five runs in the bottom half of the second inning to make it 5-2. 

Trailing 5-2, Madonna came right back with four runs in the top of the third to take a 6-5 lead. Staelgraeve's big day continued with a two-run single that scored Sharkas and Jace Matkin. Later in the inning Brady Krzciok hit a two-run home run to give the Crusaders the lead back. Madonna then added insurance runs in the top of the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, including an RBI triple by Revere and sacrifice flies by Sharkas and Brendan VanTubergen to take a 10-5 lead. 

LTU didn't go down without a fight however, scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth and one in the seventh. The Blue Devils had the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh trailing by one run, but Victor Mencotti was able to get out of the jam with a groundout. Sam Assaf was able to hold off LTU in the bottom of ninth and record the save and give the Crusaders the doubleheader sweep. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 

• Assaf got his second save of the season.
• Riley Vermander (2-1) earned the win on the mound after pitching five innings and striking out five Blue Devil hitters. 
• Krzciok hit his second home run of the season and first since February 19th against Saint Xavier in Kentucky. 
• Matkin and Staelgraeve led Madonna's hitters with two each. 

UP NEXT:

Conference play continues with a doubleheader at 1:00 PM Saturday against Aquinas College from Illitch Ballpark.

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