Site: Adrian, Mich. (SHU Field)
Scores: Siena Heights 2, Madonna 1 | Madonna 12, Siena Heights 2
Records: MU 29-6; 8-4 WHAC | SHU 16-24; 4-8 WHAC
Next MU Event: Saturday, April 18 at Concordia (1pm)
ADRIAN, Mich. - - The No. 12-rated Madonna University baseball team finally played games three and four of its series with Siena Heights on Thursday (April 16) after three days of rain forced a delay and the Crusaders came away with a split on the day, falling 2-1 in game one but rebounding for a 12-2 win in the night cap.
Senior first baseman
Kevin Zerbo (Farmington, Mich.) clubbed two home runs in game two as part of a 3-for-3 game at the plate with four runs batted in. Senior second baseman
Ryan Morrow (Taylor, Mich.) went 2-for-4 while senior third baseman
Aaron Hacias (Sterling Heights, Mich.), sophomore catcher
Tarik Khasawneh (Canton, Mich.) and freshman short stop
Dominic Benavides (Northville, Mich.) each chipped in with two hits a piece.
Freshman
Robert Fraser (Westland, Mich.) earned the win, throwing six innings while scattering two hits, allowing just the two runs and striking out a pair of Saints.
The Crusaders scored four times in the top of the second to jump in front 4-0. Hacias and Zerbo led off the inning with back-to-back doubles to make it 1-0. Freshman left fielder
DJ Jaglois (Birmingham, Mich.) followed two batters later with a single to score Zerbo and make it 2-0. After Jaglois stole second and moved to third on a failed pick off, Benavides singled him home for a 3-0 lead. After moving up on a wild pitch, Benavides scored two batters later on a
Shawn Little (Canton, Mich.) single to make it 4-0.
MU tacked on its fifth run in the third when
Drew Fry (Madison Heights, Mich.) reached on a single and after moving to third on a Hacias single, came home via a
Matt Kay (Canton, Mich.) sacrifice fly to make it 5-0.
SHU cut into the lead in its half of the third, plating a run but MU responded with a run in the top of the fourth when
Ted Toune (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) - who was running for Khasawneh - came home on a groud out by Fry to make it a 6-1 contest.
Zerbo led off the fifth with a home run to make it 7-1 and after Kay reached on an error, he would score on a Khasawneh single to make it 8-1.
The Saints tacked on a run in the bottom of the fifth (8-2) but the Crusaders came back with four runs in the top of the sixth to put the game away. Morrow singled and then stole second to lead off the inning and was followed by Fry reaching on an error to put two on for Hacias. Hacias grounded out, but the ball allowed Morrow to score to make it 9-2. The lead grew to 11-2 when Zerbo crushed his second home run in as many at-bats, this one to left field for a nine run cushion. Kay followed Zerbo with a single and after stealing second and moving up to third on a wild pitch, came home on a Benavides single for a 12-2 lead.
Fraser hit a batter and gave up a double in the bottom of the sixth but worked out of the jam to pick up his thrid win of the year.
In game one the Saints got to MU starter
Trent Pohl (Grand Ledge, Mich.) in the first as Cory Lehman led off with a double and came around to score for a 1-0 lead.
SHU made it 2-0 in the fourth as a pair fo walks and a hit allowed the Saints to put another run up for the two-run cushion.
MU trimmed the its deficit to one in the fifth when
Scott Boyer (Flat Rock, Mich.) led off with a walk and after moving to third on a single and a sac bunt, came home on a Morrow ground ball but that would be all of the offense the Crusaders would post for the game, falling 2-1.
Pohl threw six innings, striking out three but was a tad wild, walking four.
The Crusaders remain tied for first in the WHAC with Indiana Tech at 8-4 and travel to Concordia on Saturday for a 1pm double header against the Cards.