LIVONIA, Mich. -- The Madonna University baseball team picked up two huge victories on day one of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament. The Crusaders sent the University of Northwestern Ohio packing by defeating them 11-0, before holding off Aquinas College 7-4 in the final game of the day. Madonna is one win away from advancing to the WHAC championship series on Monday, while Aquinas will need to defeat the Crusaders twice to stay alive. The Saints defeated the Racers 9-5 in the first game of the pod tournament on Thursday morning. 

Game 1:

Madonna scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning after an UNOH error and an RBI double by Matt Staelgraeve. The Racers couldn't seem to figure out Nate Blain, and the Crusaders added insurance runs for the right-hander in the fifth and sixth inning. Jace Matkin hit an RBI single to extend the Crusader lead to 3-0 in the fifth, before a Nick Krol sacrifice bunt scored Aiden Shipmen and another Matkin RBI single made it 5-0 after six innings. 

Blain continued to dominate UNOH as Madonna blew the game open in the bottom of the eighth with six runs. A Matkin double to left field scored Alex Garbacik and Anthony Sharkas, before Brady Krzciok singled home Matkin to make it 8-0. Staelgraeve's three-run home run to right field sealed the game for Madonna, as Blain mowed the Racers down 1-2-3 in the ninth and eliminated UNOH from the tournament. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

 

• Blain dominated on the mound with a complete game one-hit shutout and nine strikeouts.
• Matkin and Staelgraeve had four RBIs each. 

Game 2:

The visiting Saints were the first ones to score in this game, as they set the tone right away with a solo home run to right field in the top of the first. Madonna responded however, as Garbacik tripled to leadoff the game for the Crusaders, before coming home to tie the score at 1-1 after an RBI groundout by Sharkas. They then took a 2-1 lead in the second after Staelgraeve hit his second home run of the day, but Aquinas came right back with a two-run home run in the top of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead. 

Madonna took the lead for good in the fourth, highlighted by an RBI single by Jake Zeeb that put the Crusaders in front. After a sacrifice fly by Garbacik scored Staelgraeve, Madonna led 5-3 after four innings. 

Aquinas got within a run in the top of the sixth, but a two-run triple by Sharkas brought home Krol and Garbacik in the bottom half of the inning and gave the Crusaders the breathing room they needed. From there, it was all about reigning WHAC Pitcher of the Week Brandon Rice. Rice threw three hitless innings and struck out two to earn the nine-out save and give Madonna the victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 

• Not to be overshadowed by Rice, Riley Vermander put together a great start on the mound, throwing six solid innings, allowing five hits, and striking out six batters.
• Garbacik and Sharkas led the Crusaders with two hits each.

UP NEXT:

Madonna and Aquinas will do battle at 1:00 PM tomorrow from Ilitch Ballpark.

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