LIVONIA, Mich.-- The Madonna University softball team opened the championship series in strong fashion, defeating Indiana Tech in Game One of a best-of-three set on Friday to take an early series advantage. The Crusaders would then capture the tournament championship, holding off Indiana Tech for a 3-2 victory in a tightly contested title game.
GAME 1:
The Crusaders set the tone early, using a balanced offensive attack and steady pitching to control the game from the outset. Madonna consistently applied pressure at the plate, stringing together timely hits and capitalizing on scoring opportunities to build a lead.
Several Crusaders contributed offensively in the win, with multiple players recording hits as Madonna generated production throughout the lineup. Key at-bats in the middle innings helped create separation, allowing the Crusaders to dictate the pace of the game.
In the circle, Madonna received a strong performance from its starting pitcher, who kept Indiana Tech's offense in check and worked efficiently through key situations. The Crusaders' defense backed the effort with solid play behind her, limiting extra-base opportunities and preventing any sustained rallies.
Indiana Tech battled throughout and looked to generate momentum in the later innings, but Madonna responded each time, maintaining control and closing out the victory.
GAME 2:
The Crusaders did all their scoring early, plating three runs in the bottom of the second inning—an inning that ultimately proved to be the difference. Madonna capitalized on timely hitting and Indiana Tech miscues to build the early lead despite finishing with just five hits on the day.
Faith Cramton led the offensive effort, going 2-for-3 at the plate to pace Madonna. The Crusaders also received key contributions from throughout the lineup during the decisive second inning, where they drove in all three runs with two outs.
Indiana Tech answered in the fourth inning, scoring two runs on a triple from Carlye Walter and an RBI double by Melissa Cabrera to cut the deficit to one. However, that would be all the offense the Warriors could muster.
In the circle, Madonna's pitching staff delivered under pressure.
Sara Austin started the game and kept Indiana Tech in check through the middle innings, while
Anna Battagin and the Crusader defense closed things out. Madonna pitchers combined to allow just two runs on six hits while limiting scoring opportunities late.
Defensively, Madonna was sharp when it mattered most, stranding six Indiana Tech runners and working out of multiple situations to preserve the lead.
Despite being outhit 6-5, the Crusaders made the most of their opportunities and leaned on strong pitching and situational execution to secure the championship.
With the win, Madonna claims the tournament title and continues its dominant season with momentum heading into NAIA Tournament play.
UP NEXT:
The No. 1 Madonna Crusaders will find out their NAIA Tournament location and opponent on Wednesday, May 6th at 5:00 PM CST. Watch the NAIA selection show on the NAIA YouTube page.
