ANN ARBOR, Mich. - - The No. 12-ranked Madonna University baseball team used a record setting performance on the mound from Jeff Sonnenberg (Lansing, Mich.) in game one and a 11-run, 13-hit outburst in game two to sweep Concordia on Saturday (April 18) by finals of 11-0 and 11-3 at Cardinal Field.
Sonnenberg broke the single-season complete games record by going the distance for the eighth time this season to improve to 9-1 on the year. He allowed just a pair of hits in the first inning while striking out two for the win. Sonnenberg broke the record that had been held by Mitch Jabczenski who tied Louie McKaig's (1994) seven complete games in 2000. The senior righty also moved alone into second place for wins in a single-season with his ninth of the campaign.
Junior righty Kyle Bolton (Burlington, Ont.) threw a complete game in the night cap, going all seven, striking out two and allowing just one earned run in moving to 6-1 on the year.
Senior second baseman Ryan Morrow (Taylor, Mich.) went a combined 4-for-8 with four runs scored in the double header while sophomore short stop Mike Gansser (Lake in the Hills, Ill.) posted four runs batted in, going a combined 2-for-6, including a bases clearing double in the opener. Fellow sophomore Shawn Little (Canton, Mich.) was 3-for-6 with a RBI on the day as well.
The Crusader bats started early in the opener, posting four runs in the first inning to take a 4-0 lead. Little reached on a one-out single and was moved to third on a single from senior third baseman Aaron Hacias (Sterling Heights, Mich.). Both runners moved up on stolen bases with Little coming home for a 1-0 lead. Senior first baseman Kevin Zerbo (Farmington, Mich.) then singled, moving Hacias to third. Sophomore right fielder Matt Kay (Canton, Mich.) drew a walk two batters later and Gansser followed Kay with a bases clearing double to put MU up 4-0.
Madonna added another run in the second as Morrow reached on a singled and came all the way around to score on a Little single to make it 5-0.
The lead grew to 8-0 in the fourth when Morrow reached on a one-out single and then stole second. Little walked and both runners moved up on a Hacias ground out. Zerbo drew a walk to load the bases. Senior designated hitter Scott Boyer (Flat Rock, Mich.) drew a walk to force in Morrow and make it 6-0. Kay and Gansser were then hit by pitches to force in two more runs and push the MU lead to eight.
MU put up three more runs in the fifth to ice the game away as Morrow once again reached on a one-out single and moved to second on a Hacias walk. A Zerbo double cleared the bases and made it 10-0. Pinch runner Adam Bailey (Taylor, Mich.) then moved to third on a wild pitch before coming in to score on a Boyer single for the 11-0 lead.
Sonnenberg sent the Cards down in order in the seventh for the 11-0 run-rule victory.
In the night cap, the Crusaders took a 2-0 lead after their half of the first thanks to back-to-back singles from Little and Hacias. Little then stole home to make it 1-0. Zerbo then singled in Hacias to make it 2-0 after half an inning.
The Cardinals got one run back in the first and another in the second to tie the game at 2-2 after two innings.
It stayed tied until the fourth when MU tacked on two more runs to go in front for good. Hacias led off with a walk and then moved to third when Boyer's single was misplayed in the Concordia outfield, putting runners at second and third. Bailey then singled to score both runners and make it 4-2.
MU added two more runs in the fifth when sophomore catcher Tarik Khasawneh (Canton, Mich.) walked. Junior courtesy runner Drew Fry (Madison Heights, Mich.) then moved all the way to third when Morrow's bunt single was misplayed, allowing Morrow to go to second and Fry to slide in safe at third. Fry came home on a wild pitch to make it 5-2 and two batters later Morrow did the same after a Hacias single to put MU up 6-2.
The lead grew to 8-2 in the sixth after Gansser reached on a fielder's choice and scored on a single from junior left fielder Ted Toune (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) to make it 7-2. Toune scored run eight of the game when Khasawneh hit a double to right center to cap the MU scoring in the sixth, giving the Crusaders a commanding 8-2 lead.
The Crusaders capped their scoring in the seventh, plating three more runs to go in front 11-2. Freshman pinch hitter Billy Hardin III (Livonia, Mich.) singled with one out and moved up two hitters later when fellow freshman pinch hitter DJ Jaglois (Birmingham, Mich.) drew a walk. A walk to Boyer loaded the bases for Bailey. Bailey reached on a Cards miscue to score Hardin and make it 9-2. Pinch hitter Dominic Benavides (Northville, Mich.) then singled home Jaglois for a 10-2 lead. A bases loaded walk to Toune forced in the 11th run of the game for Madonna and gave the Crusaders a nine-run cushion heading into the bottom of the seventh.
Concordia scratched out a run in the bottom of the seventh as Bolton allowed a lead off double and a Crusader mistake allowed the run to come home but the Ontario native took care of the final out himself, covering first on a ground ball to Zerbo for the final out and an 11-3 win.
MU and Concordia wrap up the season series on Sunday (April 19). First pitch is slated for 1pm at Ilitch Ballpark.
