LIVONIA, MI - Madonna took an early lead Monday afternoon, but Rochester Christian erased it and pulled away with a three-run seventh inning for a 5-2 victory in Livonia.
GAME 1:
The decisive stretch came after the game was tied entering the final frame, when Nathaniel Crane drew a bases-loaded walk and Beau Falkenhagen reached on a Madonna error that brought home two more runs.
The Crusaders struck first in the bottom of the first. Aamir Mitchell gave Madonna an immediate lift with a two-run home run to right field, scoring Kooper Etheridge and putting the home team ahead 2-0. That was Madonna's biggest offensive moment of the day, and for a time it looked enough to support the club's pitching effort.
Rochester Christian chipped away in the fourth when Jayden Peterson lined an RBI single up the middle to score Crane and cut the deficit to 2-1. Peterson delivered again in the sixth, this time bringing home Ryder Zeiman on a fielder's choice to even the score at 2-2. Rochester Christian finished with six hits, and Peterson's two RBIs proved central to the comeback.
The game turned for good in the top of the seventh. Rochester Christian loaded the bases and moved in front when Crane worked a walk that forced in Cael Kuzinski. Moments later, Falkenhagen reached on a fielding error charged to Madonna third baseman Kevin Davis, and two unearned runs scored to extend the lead to 5-2.
Madonna managed five hits, but Rochester Christian starter Matthew Redmond controlled the game after the first inning. Redmond threw a complete seven innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs while striking out 10 and walking two on 118 pitches. Madonna struck out 10 times at the plate and did not score after Mitchell's first-inning homer.
Mitchell accounted for both Crusaders runs with his home run and two RBIs, while Madonna left five runners on base. Rochester Christian left eight on base but made the most of its late opportunity, turning a tie game into a three-run win with its final at-bat.
GAME 2:
Madonna could not overcome a two-inning surge from Rochester Christian on Monday, falling 3-1 in Livonia after the visitors broke open a scoreless game in the fourth and added the decisive runs in the fifth.
The turning point came when Dakota Shafer doubled to right-center in the fourth inning and later came home on a passed ball, giving Rochester Christian a 1-0 lead. The visitors added to it in the fifth. Aiden Alspaugh lined an RBI double down the left-field line to score Cael Kuzinski, then Shafer followed with an RBI single up the middle to extend the advantage to 3-0.
That was enough support for Rochester Christian reliever Landon Fahey, who controlled the game over the final five innings. Fahey allowed just one hit, did not give up a run, walked one and struck out six in 5.0 innings to earn the win. Rochester Christian finished with nine hits, while Madonna was held to three.
Madonna starter Ethan Gajewski kept the Crusaders within reach for much of the afternoon. Gajewski worked 6.2 innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on eight hits while striking out five over 96 pitches. Madonna's staff totaled 10 strikeouts, but Rochester Christian capitalized on its chances and also stole two bases.
The Crusaders showed life in the ninth. Kevin Davis doubled to center to put a runner in scoring position, and Quintin Collins brought him home with a groundout to first base for Madonna's lone run. Madonna also drew six walks, but Rochester Christian stranded the late rally and closed out the 3-1 result.
Rochester Christian left eight runners on base and committed one error, while Madonna also left eight aboard and finished with two errors. For the Crusaders, the late run provided the final margin, but the damage from the fourth and fifth innings proved too much to erase.
