Site: Livonia, Mich. (Ilitch Ballpark)
Game One Score: Madonna University 4, Indiana Wesleyan University 3
Game Two Score: Madonna University 9, Indiana Wesleyan University 1
Records: MU 18-3; IWU 10-18
Next MU event: Wednesday, March 31 vs. Rochester College (Ilitch Ballpark), 1:00pm (EDT)

GAME ONE BOX SCORE| GAME TWO BOX SCORE

POST GAME INTERVIEW ON CRUSADERVISION

LIVONIA, Mich. (MadonnaCrusaders.com) - -A walk-off home run in game one to go along with three more long balls in game two and solid pitching, the No. 15-ranked Madonna University baseball team swept its home opening double header from Indiana Wesleyan University by finals of 4-3 and 9-1.

GAME ONE
The first five innings of the day's opener were a pitcher's dual as Madonna starter Robert Fraser (Westland, Mich./John Glenn) moved on from a lead off walk and was lights out, throwing five innings of one-hit baseball, striking out seven before giving way to the bullpen.

IWU plated three runs off of the MU bullpen to hold a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.

Senior Zach Flavin (Novi, Mich./Novi) led off the last inning with a double and moved to third on single from junior Matt Kay (Canton, Mich./Canton/Henry Ford CC). Pinch hitter Drew Fry (Madison Heights, Mich./Madison Heights) singled home Flavin for the first Crusader run and a 3-1 ballgame.

After a ground out, junior Mike Gansser (Lake in the Hills, Ill./Rochester Adams) stepped in and took the first offering he saw from reliever Ryne Brown over the wall in left for a walk-off 4-3 win.

Junior Chris Skalski (West Bloomfield, Mich./Walled Lake Northern/Macomb CC) earned the win in relief, throwing an inning while Gansser drove in three as part of a 2-for-3 game at the plate. Kay also posted a pair of hits in the day's opener.

GAME TWO
The home runs carried over from the day's opener as MU as the Crusaders got on the board in the third inning when senior Ted Toune (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Park Center/Lansing CC) connected on a two-run homer to right that scored Gansser for a 2-0 lead. Junior Jeff Bultinck (Sterling Heights, Mich./Notre Dame Prep/Concordia) followed two batters later with a single and moved to third on a single from Flavin to put runners at second and third for Kay. Kay clubbed his second long ball of the season - this one a three-run opposite field shot to left - to make it 5-0 Madonna after three innings.

IWU took advantage of a pair of Crusader miscues in the top of the fourth to plate a run off of starter Jeremy Gooding (Livonia, Mich./Divine Child/Saginaw Valley State) but the freshman righty shut the door, not allowing a hit through his four innings of work while striking out five.

The Crusader offense cranked back into gear in the fifth as MU scored four runs to take a commanding 9-1 lead. Toune led off with a single and then stole second. Bultinck drew a walk to put runners at first and second with just one out. Toune moved to third on a passed ball and came home on a sacrifice fly from Flavin to make it 6-1. Kay then doubled home pinch runner Alex Charles (Farmington Hills, Mich./Brother Rice) to make it 7-1. Freshman Brad Lineberry (Canton, Mich./Plymouth) came to the plate and stroked his first career home run to right to score Kay for the 9-1 lead.

Sophomore Tom Hansen (Rochester Hills, Mich./Adams) allowed just two hits while striking out five over his three innings of work in relief of Gooding to pick up his first career save.

Kay drove in four runs as part of a 2-for-3 game while Toune posted three hits and a pair of RBIs. The Royal Blue and Gold bats that went down on strikes six times in the day's opener, struck out just once in the night cap.

MU continues its home stand on Wednesday (March 31) hosting Rochester College in a 1pm double header at Ilitch Ballpark.

NOTES
The NAIA National Office announced during the game that the Crusaders moved from the No. 21 spot in the country to No. 15 in the latest NAIA Coaches' Poll.

Contact: Patrick Moore (734) 432-5834