GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Madonna baseball earned a doubleheader sweep over Cornerstone University on Thursday at DeWitt Field, taking game one 14–4 before edging out a 5–4 victory in game two.
In the opener, the Crusaders set the tone early and never let up, using a strong offensive performance to secure the 14–4 win.
Madonna jumped out in front in the first inning when Ty Stepek launched a two-run home run. The Crusaders added two more runs in the second behind an RBI double from Luke Spicer and a Cornerstone error to build a 4–0 lead.
After Cornerstone got on the board, Madonna continued to respond. Donovan Thompson drove in a run in the fifth, and the Crusaders broke the game open in the sixth with a five-run inning. Aamir Mitchell delivered a key two-RBI single, while Kooper Etheridge added a sacrifice fly and Thompson drove in two more runs to extend the lead.
Cornerstone answered with three runs in the sixth, but Madonna quickly shut the door with a four-run seventh inning. Mitchell capped the scoring with a two-run home run to seal the 14–4 victory.
Mitchell led the offense with two hits, including a home run, and four RBIs. Stepek added a home run and two RBIs, while Spicer recorded two hits, two RBIs, and three runs scored. Thompson also drove in three runs as part of Madonna's 12-hit effort.
On the mound, Jason Jurczyk earned the win after tossing six innings with nine strikeouts. Brendan VanTubergen and Jack Labiak combined in relief to close out the game.
GAME TWO:
Game two proved to be a much tighter contest, with the Crusaders rallying late to secure the sweep.
Cornerstone struck first, but Madonna answered in the second behind a solo home run from Donovan Thompson, an RBI single from Brett Reed, and a sacrifice fly from Chase Gabel to take a 3–1 lead.
The Golden Eagles battled back to tie the game at 4–4 before Carson Noon delivered the game-winning moment in the ninth with a solo home run to give Madonna a 5–4 lead.
David Zilch earned the win in relief with three scoreless innings, while Trey Acker and Jacob Kowalski kept Madonna within striking distance earlier in the game.
With the sweep, Madonna improved to 35–13 on the season, combining a dominant offensive showing in game one with a clutch late-game performance in game two.
