LIVONIA, Mich. - - A season high six errors proved costly to the Madonna University baseball team as it opened the 2009 Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament with a 13-6 loss to No. 5-seed Concordia on Friday (May 1) at Ilitch Ballpark

Junior designated hitter Zach Flavin (Novi, Mich.) provided a bright spot in the MU offense, going 4-for-4 with a home run off of the scoreboard in left center in the ninth for the Crusaders. Senior righty Jeff Sonnenberg (Lansing, Mich.) suffered the loss, giving up 11 runs on 11 hits, falling to 10-2 on the year.

The Cardinals scored a run in the first as Sonnenberg issued a lead off walk that eventually came in for the 1-0 lead.

The Crusaders responded with a run in the bottom of the second as Flavin reached on a lead off single and came home to tie the game after a walk and a ground out had moved him to third.

Concordia answered back with five runs in the third to go in front for good at 6-1. Madonna responded with two runs in each in the third to trim the deficit to two at 6-3. Senior third baseman Aaron Hacias (Sterling Heights, Mich.) reached on a two-out error and moved to second on a single by senior first baseman Kevin Zerbo (Farmington, Mich.). Hacias would score on a single by sophomore rightfielder Matt Kay (Canton, Mich.) to make it 6-2 and a Flavin single to right scored Zerbo to make it 6-3.

The momentum was short lived however as the Cards added three more runs in the fourth to go back up by six at 9-3.

MU put up a pair of runs in the fourth, cutting the lead to four at 9-5 as sophomore catcher Tarik Khasawneh (Canton, Mich.) led off with a single and was followed by senior second baseman Ryan Morrow (Taylor, Mich.) reaching on a fielder's choice that cut down junior pinch runner Drew Fry (Madison Heights, Mich.) at second. Morrow then scored on a triple by sophomore centerfielder Shawn Little (Canton, Mich.) to make it 9-4. Little then scored on a ball off the bat of Zerbo that was misplayed to make it 9-5.

The game stayed 8-5 until the top of the ninth when CUAA put it away, scoring four more runs to go in front 13-5.

Flavin trimmed the deficit to seven with his blast in the ninth, but it was too little, too late for Madonna as Concordia pulled the upset for the second time on Friday and advanced in the winners' bracket.

MU must now fight its way back out of the losers' bracket, starting with a win-or-go home game against Siena Heights (which lost to Aquinas 7-2 on Friday). First pitch at Ilitch Ballpark is set for 10am on Saturday (May 2).