GAME 1:
Indiana Wesleyan used a six-run third inning, highlighted by a three-run home run from T. Vojtkofsk, to pull away from Madonna in an 11-0, seven-inning defeat for the Crusaders on Saturday afternoon in Hoover, Alabama.
The Wildcats scored in each of the first three innings to take control early. A sacrifice fly to left by B. Seitzinge brought home C. Bush in the first inning for a 1-0 lead, and a two-run double by G. Vineyard in the second pushed the advantage to 3-0. Madonna threatened throughout the day but could not come up with the timely hit, finishing with four hits and six runners left on base.
Indiana Wesleyan broke the game open in the third. After two runs had already come across in the frame, Vojtkofsk drove a three-run shot to extend the margin to 6-0, capping the decisive inning that put the Crusaders in a deep hole. Vineyard later reached on an error by the catcher to plate another run in the inning, as the Wildcats continued to apply pressure at the plate.
Madonna's pitching staff was forced to work from behind from the outset, allowing 13 hits and 11 runs over six innings while striking out five and walking two on 107 pitches. Indiana Wesleyan added insurance in the sixth when M. Drozlek doubled to left, driving in two more runs to make it 11-0 and effectively seal the run-rule margin.Â
Offensively, the Crusaders were led by L. Spicer, who reached base in all three plate appearances. Spicer went 2-for-2 with a walk and added a stolen base, providing a consistent spark at the top of the Madonna order. However, Indiana Wesleyan's defense and pitching kept any potential rallies in check, stranding multiple Crusaders on base across the middle innings.
Indiana Wesleyan starter C. Chinn turned in a dominant complete-game performance, tossing seven shutout innings. Chinn limited Madonna to four hits, walked two and struck out seven on just 78 pitches, efficiently navigating each inning and closing out the contest with authority in the seventh.
The Crusaders finished with four hits, two walks and three hit batters, but were unable to push a run across against Chinn. Madonna will look to build on Spicer's table-setting performance and the early-season experience as the Crusaders continue play away from home and seek to generate more sustained offense in upcoming games.
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GAME 2:
Madonna University used a three-run rally in the top of the seventh to cap a back-and-forth contest and edge Indiana Wesleyan 11-10 in a seven-inning neutral-site matchup Saturday in Hoover, Ala. The Crusaders trailed 10-8 entering their final at-bat before run-scoring hits from K. Etheridge and K. Davis delivered the decisive blows in a high-scoring nonconference win.
Down by two in the seventh, Madonna put together one more answer in a game defined by momentum swings. Etheridge came through with a two-run single to pull the Crusaders even, and Davis followed with an RBI single to push Madonna ahead 11-10. Indiana Wesleyan was held scoreless in the bottom half, sealing the Crusaders' comeback after the Wildcats had erased multiple deficits earlier in the game.
Madonna finished with 11 runs on 13 hits and no errors, showcasing a balanced and persistent offense. Etheridge led the attack with a four-hit day, including two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI. Davis added a pair of key swings, opening the scoring with a two-run homer to left in the top of the first and later tacking on the go-ahead RBI single in the seventh to give her three RBI for the game.
Indiana Wesleyan answered Madonna's early 2-0 lead with a four-run bottom of the first, aided by a wild pitch RBI from C. Bush and an RBI groundout from B. Seitzinge to move in front 4-2. The Wildcats extended the margin to 5-2 with a run in the second, but Madonna responded with its biggest inning in the third. The Crusaders sent six runs across in the frame, highlighted by A. Mitchell's three-run homer to left as they surged back in front 8-5.
The Wildcats refused to fade, answering with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game at 8-8. G. Vineyard's triple jump-started the rally, and RBI singles from Bush and G. Payson pulled Indiana Wesleyan even. In the fifth, Indiana Wesleyan again seized control, drawing a bases-loaded walk by J. Tomes and bringing in another run when Vineyard was hit by a pitch with the bases full to build a 10-8 advantage.
Madonna's pitching staff navigated persistent traffic, as Indiana Wesleyan totaled 10 runs on 14 hits, including three doubles and a triple, but the Crusaders' defense was clean with no errors and stranded nine Wildcats on base. Madonna's offense, meanwhile, combined power and pressure, notching four doubles and two home runs while drawing four walks and being hit by two pitches to keep innings alive throughout the game.
Mitchell reached base three times with a homer, two runs scored, three RBI and two walks, while G. Simon added three hits, a double, two runs scored and a stolen base from the top of the lineup to help fuel the Crusaders' production. Payson paced Indiana Wesleyan with three hits, including a triple, two RBI and a walk, but Madonna's late-inning execution proved to be the difference. The Crusaders left Hoover with an early-season statement win, showing resilience in responding to multiple deficits and closing out a one-run decision against a potent Wildcats lineup.
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