DEARBORN, Mich. - In a double-header that was originally set to be played on March 25th but postponed due to weather, the (RV) Madonna Crusaders' Softball Team (22-8, 5-3) finally got to face the University of Michigan-Dearborn Wolverines (15-10, 5-3). Game 1 was all Madonna as the Crusaders ran away with a 5-0 victory, but the Wolverines would edge them out in Game 2, narrowly beating the Crusaders 7-6 as they split the series.

GAME 1:

Leading off the game with a single to get on base in the top of the first, sophomore Alissa Gauthier used her deadly speed to steal second and put herself in scoring position. An error by the Wolverines' third baseman would then allow senior captain Jenna Gilbert to reach first and Gauthier to round the base and make it home. The Crusaders took a 1-0 lead after one.

It was a relatively quiet game after that until the fifth inning. Crusader ace Maeson Schlaud kept the Wolverines at bay from the mound, allowing just two hits and no runs through the first four innings. When the Crusaders stepped to the plate again to start off the fifth, they finally found their rhythm. Kelsi Littleton reached first on another Wolverine error to lead off the inning. Junior Emily Biggott got her to second with a sacrifice hit, and a Gauthier single to follow put her in scoring position at third base. Yet another error turned a single by 2022 All-WHAC catcher Bailey Martin into a double, and brought Littleton home for the run.

Schoolcraft College transfer Autumn Reed was next up to bat, bringing home Gauthier with a single that also got Martin to third. On a fielder's choice with the next at bat, Gilbert made it to first as Martin was brought home for the score. Following Gilbert was freshman standout Jessica Dunkel, who brought in Reed with a single that dropped into right field. Following the huge rally from the Crusaders, who now led 5-0, the Wolverines were forced to make a change at the mound mid-inning. However, their bullpen pitcher was able to hold off any further Crusader runs, as they went on to win 5-0 in Game 1.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 

• Schlaud threw 13 strikeouts and allowed just three hits, pitching all seven innings.
• Gauthier went 2-of-4, scoring two runs and stealing one base.
• Martin and Reed each scored one run and had one RBI.
• Gilbert and Dunkel each had an RBI.

GAME 2:

After their shut-out victory in Game 1, the Crusaders got off to a slow start in Game 2 as they went down 0-2 in the first quarter. After rattling off a double for the Crusaders' first hit of the game, Theisen made it home for their first run thanks to an error by the Wolverines. However, the Wolverines would put up two more runs in the bottom of the second, jumping ahead to an early 4-1 lead.

The Crusaders continued to slowly work their way back, as Gilbert stepped up to the plate. With a single to left field, Gilbert advanced to second on the throw as pinch runner Jenalee Herbon reached home for the score in the top of the third. However, a rough fourth inning for the Crusaders led to them finding themselves in a 7-2 hole with three innings remaining.

Despite the deficit, the Crusaders came up big in the top of the fifth. Catcher Mackenzie Ming reached first after being walked to start the inning. A single by Gilbert left runners on first and second, with Dunkel on deck. The big-hitting freshman showed why she has quickly become one of the Crusaders' best options at the plate, driving a huge hit over the fence of center field for a three-run home run. Already, that hit marks the fourth home run of her freshman campaign. Dunkel's clutch play lit a spark in the Crusaders, who went on to hold off the Wolverines from scoring for the remainder of the game.

With a comeback not out of reach in the top of the sixth, Biggott smashed a triple to the left center fence, allowing for pinch runner freshman Elizabeth Savacool to make it home and cut the deficit to one. Despite their late turnaround, the Crusaders were unable to force extra innings, going down 7-6 to the Wolverines and splitting the series.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 

• Dunkel led the team with three RBIs thanks to her three-run home run in the top of the fifth.
• Gilbert had one run and one RBI.
• Biggott had one RBI and one triple.
• Theisen, Savacool, Ming, and Herbon each scored one run.

UP NEXT:

The next stop for the Crusaders is Howell, Michigan, as they will continue their Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference campaign against the Cleary University Cougars (8-25, 2-10). The first pitch of the double-header is set to be thrown at noon on Saturday, April 15th.

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