Fitz
9
Winner Madonna MADONNA
4
Nelson University Arizona Warriors Athletics NELSON U
Winner
Madonna MADONNA
9
Final
4
Nelson University Arizona Warriors Athletics NELSON U
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Madonna MADONNA 1 0 0 2 4 0 2 9 12 2
Nelson University Arizona Warriors Athletics NELSON U 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 4 8 3

W: Battagin, Anna (3-1) L: Kelly Katalbas (5-6)

Game Recap: Softball |

Madonna Uses Late-Inning Surge to Beat Nelson Arizona

MELBOURNE, Fla. — A four-run fifth inning and a late pinch-hit home run from Parker Gordon powered Madonna University to a 9–4 win over Nelson University Arizona Warriors Athletics in seven innings on Thursday afternoon at Stadium Parkway.
Trailing 3–1 after three innings, the Crusaders' offense steadily took control, starting with a three-run response across the fourth and fifth innings and capped by Gordon's two-run pinch-hit blast in the seventh that put the game out of reach. Madonna finished with 12 hits and produced runs in four different frames, turning an early deficit into a comfortable nonconference victory.
Madonna struck first in the top of the first. After Ashley Rosiewicz reached and moved into scoring position, Rylee Fitzpatrick opened her standout day at the plate with an RBI single to left to give the Crusaders a 1–0 lead. Nelson quickly answered in the bottom half, when Maritza Rodriguez doubled and brought home Briyanei Celaya on a play that included an error, pulling the Warriors even at 1–1.
Nelson briefly seized momentum in the third. Estevannie Rojas delivered a two-run double through the right side to push the Warriors ahead 3–1, their largest lead of the game. Madonna responded in the fourth inning, beginning its comeback when Fitzpatrick reached and scored on a double from Carson Kulhmann. Moments later, Payden Whitmore singled to center to plate another run, flipping the lead back to Madonna at 4–3.
The Warriors tied the game again in the bottom of the fourth. Celaya singled through the left side to score Araeya Cosay with an unearned run, making it 4–4. From that point, however, Madonna's pitching and defense tightened, and Nelson did not score again over the final three innings, stranding five runners overall and managing eight hits for the game.
The decisive stretch came in the top of the fifth. Madonna loaded pressure on Nelson starter Kelly Katalbas, who worked 6.0 innings and allowed 10 hits and eight earned runs in the loss. Brynn Anteau reached on a fielder's choice that produced an RBI, and the Crusaders continued to capitalize on traffic and defensive miscues to push across additional runs. Gordon, entering as a pinch player, later came around to score on a throw as part of the four-run frame, pushing Madonna ahead 8–4 and seizing control of the contest.
In the seventh, Gordon delivered the final blow. Coming on again in a pinch-hit role, Gordon launched a two-run homer to extend the lead to 9–4 and provide insurance that the Crusaders would not need, as the pitching staff closed out the final three outs without allowing a run. Gordon finished with two runs scored and two RBIs, all off the bench.
Fitzpatrick led Madonna's attack, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Kulhmann added two doubles and an RBI, while Whitmore turned in a multi-hit game that included a triple, a single and an RBI. The Crusaders totaled four doubles and a triple among their 12 hits, striking out just twice and leaving only five runners on base.
Nelson was paced by Celaya, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, and Rojas, who added a two-run double. Rodriguez's first-inning RBI double accounted for the Warriors' other extra-base hit, as they finished with eight hits but were unable to break through after the fourth inning against a Madonna staff that needed just 79 pitches, 62 for strikes, to work the full seven innings.
With the victory, the Crusaders closed out the contest with a strong all-around performance highlighted by timely hitting, aggressive baserunning and steady run prevention in the late innings. Madonna's ability to answer each Nelson surge and then separate late provided a clear template for success as the Crusaders continue their early-season slate in Florida.
 
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