FAYETTE, MO -- Madonna University erased an early four-run deficit with a five-run third inning and rode a dominant relief outing from J. Kowalski to a 9-4 win over Columbia (Mo.) on Saturday afternoon at Estes Field in Fayette, MO.
Trailing 4-0 after two innings, the Crusaders' offense erupted in the third to seize control. Gus Simon started the rally with a double, and Logan Ellis followed with a single to put pressure on the Columbia defense. Ty Stepek put Madonna on the board with an RBI single, and Kevin Davis laced a run-scoring double to continue the surge. Aamir Mitchell added an RBI single as the Crusaders turned a four-run deficit into a 5-4 lead that they would not relinquish.
Simon continued to pace the Madonna offense in the middle innings. The Crusaders' standout delivered a solo home run to left in the fifth inning, pushing the advantage to 6-4 and giving Madonna much-needed breathing room. Simon finished with three hits in five at-bats, including two doubles and the home run, while scoring two runs and driving in one.
Madonna broke the game open for good in the eighth. Stepek led off the inning by driving a home run to left-center to make it 7-4. Davis followed later in the frame with his second RBI double of the day, and Luke Spicer capped the three-run inning with an RBI single, stretching the margin to 9-4. The Crusaders piled up 17 hits overall, including six doubles and two home runs, and left 10 runners on base, underscoring consistent traffic on the basepaths throughout the afternoon.
Stepek turned in a productive day at the plate, going 3-for-6 with two runs scored, two RBIs and a home run. Davis added two hits in four at-bats, both doubles, and drove in two while also reaching once via hit-by-pitch. Simon's three-hit performance and extra-base power helped anchor the top of the lineup as Madonna steadily pulled away from Columbia.
On the mound, Kowalski stabilized the game after Columbia's fast start. The right-hander entered in relief and tossed five scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out two to earn the win. His outing backed a comeback effort after starter Ethan Gajewski was tagged for four runs over the first four innings. Columbia managed nine hits but was held off the board after the second inning and stranded six runners.
Columbia had seized early momentum, opening with a three-run first inning on consecutive hits by Zac Fruend and Dylan Carlton, an RBI single from Tyler Renn and an RBI double from Braden Hemmer. Fruend then launched a solo home run to left in the second to make it 4-0 and finished 3-for-5 with a homer, two runs scored and an RBI. From that point on, however, Madonna's pitching and offense controlled the game, as the Crusaders outscored Columbia 9-0 over the final seven innings to secure the road victory.
