Zilch
Carter Richardson - MU Sports Media
7
Madonna MADONNA 5-3
8
Winner Central Methodist (MO) CENTRAL 3-4
Madonna MADONNA
5-3
7
Final
8
Central Methodist (MO) CENTRAL
3-4
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Madonna MADONNA 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 7 6 3
Central Methodist (MO) CENTRAL 0 0 4 0 0 1 0 3 8 7 4

W: J. Yanow (1-0) L: Hardacre, Alex (0-2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Madonna Falls to Central Methodist in Extra Innings

FAYETTE, MO -- Madonna University saw a two-run lead slip away in extra innings, falling 8-7 in eight innings to Central Methodist (Mo.) in a back-and-forth contest Saturday afternoon in Fayette, Mo. The Crusaders led 7-5 after a pinch-hit, two-run home run by Donovan Thompson in the top of the eighth, but Central Methodist answered with three runs in the bottom half, capped by a two-run single from Dariel Rios, to end the game in walk-off fashion.
The Crusaders' offense set the tone early. In the top of the first, Aamir Mitchell staked Madonna to a 3-0 lead with a three-run homer to right field, capitalizing on early baserunners and giving the visitors immediate momentum. Mitchell finished the day with two hits, including a double, three RBIs and two runs scored, anchoring a lineup that produced seven runs on six hits and drew five walks.
Central Methodist chipped away and then surged ahead in the third inning, turning a 3-0 deficit into a 4-3 advantage. Rios was at the center of the rally, driving in two runs with a single, while Zeb Wede added an RBI single. Rios later stole home in the same frame, one of eight stolen bases on the day for the Eagles, as the hosts used pressure on the bases to tilt the game in their favor.
Madonna continued to answer throughout the middle innings despite Central's aggression on the basepaths. After the Eagles moved in front 5-4 in the sixth when Justin Smith scored on a balk, the Crusaders responded in the seventh, pushing across the tying run to make it 5-5 and send the game to an extra frame. Madonna also worked five walks and left seven runners on base, repeatedly putting pressure on Central Methodist's pitching staff.
That set the stage for Thompson's big swing in the top of the eighth. Coming off the bench, the pinch hitter delivered a two-run shot to left-center field, giving Madonna a 7-5 cushion and seemingly seizing back control of the game. Thompson finished 1-for-2 with two RBIs and a run scored, providing a key lift in a late-inning situation and highlighting the depth in the Crusaders' lineup.
Central Methodist, however, answered in its final at-bat. After Jordan Vazquez scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to 7-6, Rios again came through with a two-run single, his third hit of the game, to complete the rally and close out the 8-7 decision. The Crusaders' staff worked 7 2/3 innings and threw 163 pitches, navigating 11 walks and the Eagles' running game while keeping Madonna within striking distance throughout.
Despite the loss, Madonna's performance featured multiple positives on opening-weekend-style conditions: early power from Mitchell, timely production from Thompson, and the ability to answer Central Methodist's rallies in multiple innings. With seven runs, two home runs and several clutch at-bats, the Crusaders showed an offense capable of producing in big spots as they look to carry that momentum into the rest of the road swing and the heart of the spring schedule.
 
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