Crusaders Edge Western Michigan in Regular Season Finale
Madonna defeats an NCAA
Division I team for the first time since 1999
May
1, 2007
Site:
Kalamazoo, Mich. (Hyames
Field)
Scores:
Madonna 10, Western Michigan 9
Records: MU (30-16,
15-9 WHAC),
WMU (15-21)
Next MU Event:
Thursday, May
3
-- vs. Aquinas -- at WHAC Tournament (Fort Wayne,
IN) -- 1:00 p.m.
BOX SCORE
KALAMAZOO, Mich.
–
For the first time since 1999, the Madonna baseball team earned a win over an
NCAA Division I team after the Crusaders edged Western Michigan 10-9 Tuesday in
Kalamazoo.
The Crusaders defeated another Mid-American Conference school in 1999 with a
15-4 win at Toledo.
Madonna improves to 30-16 overall, while the Broncos fall to 15-21 on the
season. The Crusaders have now won at least 30 games in four consecutive
seasons under head coach
Greg Haeger.
MU roughed up WMU starter John Navage for four runs in the first inning after he
allowed four walks and two hits.
Senior outfielder Tony Luttman (Farmington, Mich./Farmington HS)
drove in the first two Crusaders runs as senior shortstop Kyle Fedorka
(White Lake, Mich./Lakeland HS) and sophomore second baseman Ryan
Morrow (Taylor, Mich./Kennedy HS) each scored.
Two more Crusaders scored in the first inning after an error was made by the
Broncos defense on a ball of the bat of junior John McCracken
(Pinckney, Mich./Pinckney HS), which plated freshmen Brad Sullens
(Belleville, Mich./Belleville HS) and Zach Flavin (Novi,
Mich./Novi HS).
The Broncos picked up a couple of runs in the bottom of the first off MU
starter Ryan Bardoni (Warren, Mich./Warren Woods Tower HS) who
surrendered a two-run homer to Joe McDonald, trimming the Crusaders lead to 4-2.
Madonna chased Navage from the contest in the third inning as Luttman led
off with a double and scored as Flavin doubled on the following at bat.
Sophomore Gary Rule (Dearborn, Mich./Edsel Ford HS) pinch hit on
the next at bat and singled, scoring Flavin. Rule later scored in the
inning on a wild pitch to give the Crusaders a 7-2 lead.
Senior outfielder Manny Alvarado (Southfield, Mich./Southfield
HS) scored after Rule on a balk by WMU reliever Drew Mahan and McCracken
also scored in the third to give MU a 9-2 lead.
In the bottom of the third, Western Michigan scored three runs off MU
reliever Carl McDevitt (Canton, Mich./Canton HS) as Joe Sheets hit
a three-run home run to cut MU's lead to 9-5 after three innings.
The Broncos picked up their sixth run of the contest in the fourth
inning after McDonald grounded out to score Jeremy Ford, who tripled to begin
the inning off Andy Wojcik (Sterling Heights, Mich./Royal Oak Shrine
HS).
Madonna scored their 10th and final run of the game in the seventh
inning after freshman Rikco Rhoades (White Lake, Mich./Lakeland HS)
touched home plate on a double by Morrow.
Western Michigan would score three runs in the bottom of the seventh off
Mike Hand (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington HS) after
recording four hits in the inning.
After a scoreless eighth inning by both squads, McCracken moved to the
mound to close out the game with a 1-2-3 ninth inning and giving him the first
save of his career.
Sophomore Ryan Brodowsky (Farmington, Mich./Farmington HS) picked
up the win on the mound after pitching a scoreless sixth inning and retiring the
Broncos in order.
Flavin and Alvarado each led the offensive attack for the Crusaders with
two hits on the day. Luttman and Morrow each posted two RBIs.
Madonna will now direct their attention to the Wolverine-Hoosier
Athletic Conference tournament which kicks off Thursday in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The Crusaders, who clinched the number two seed, will play third-seeded Aquinas,
who swept a doubleheader at Concordia earlier today to qualify for the
tournament.
First pitch of the Madonna-Aquinas game is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
Contact:
Tony Baldwin, Sports Information Director
(734) 432-5834
tbaldwin@madonna.edu
