LIVONIA, Mich. - - The No. 8-ranked Madonna University baseball team used a six strike out performance from Jeff Sonnenberg (Lansing, Mich.) and three RBIs from Matt Kay (Canton, Mich.) to take game one of its Saturday (April 11) Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference double header from visiting Siena Heights at Ilitch Ballpark 8-5 but could not complete the sweep, falling 6-5 in the night cap.

In addition to Kay's performance at the plate in game one, Aaron Hacias (Sterling Heights, Mich.) posted three hits while Zach Flavin (Novi, Mich.), Shawn Little (Canton, Mich.) and Ryan Morrow (Taylor, Mich.) each had a pair of base hits in support of Sonnenberg's eighth win of the season.

The Crusaders added two runs in the fourth when Flavin and Little led the inning off with back-to-back singles. Tarik Khasawneh (Canton, Mich.) then executed the squeeze to score Flavin and push the MU lead to 2-0. A wild pitch allowed Little to score for a 3-0 lead.

Siena Heights scored an unearned run off of Sonnenberg in the fifth but Madonna answered back with a run of its own in the bottom of the inning to go up 4-1. Hacias reached on a single and after moving to third, came home on a wild pitch for the three run lead.

MU tacked on four runs in the bottom of the sixth as Morrow led off with a walk and stole second before moving to third on a wild pitch. Gansser was hit again and then SHU elected to intentionally walk Zerbo - loading the bases - to get to Kay. The decision was a costly one for the Saints as Kay cleared the bases with a triple down the right field line to make it 7-1. Kay scored run eight, coming home on a Billy Hardin III (Livonia, Mich.) double to left to make it 8-1.

Sonnenberg gave up four runs in the top of the seventh, after hitting a batter and a Crusader error allowed the first two men to reach base to start the inning. After a strike out for the first out of the inning, two straight singles allowed a run to score to make it 8-2. A double two hitters later scored three to make it 8-5 before Sonnenberg picked off Brian Cork for the final out and an 8-5 win.

The win puts Sonnenberg into a tie for second in single-season wins with eight.

SHU struck back, plating three runs in the fourth to go up 3-1 before MU tied the game up in the bottom half of the inning with two runs of its own. Zerbo and Kay reached on singles to open the inning before moving up on a Flavin sacrifice bunt. Little scored both runners on a single to center to make it 3-3 after four.

The Saints scored two more runs in the fifth to go on top 5-3 before the Crusaders came back with two more of their own in the bottom of the inning to square the game at 5-5. Gansser and Hacias both reached with one out and moved up on a balk. Zerbo drove both runners in with a single to left to make it 5-5.

SHU scored a single run in the sixth to go up 6-5 and that lead held up as MU went down in order in the seventh to fall by a run at 6-5.

Andy Omilian (Farmington Hills, Mich.) took the loss for MU, falling to 2-1 on the year while Zerbo was the lone Crusader to post two hits while also driving in two.

The Crusaders will take Easter Sunday off before wrapping up the series with the Saints on Monday starting at 1pm in Adrian.