LIVONIA, Mich. - - The Madonna softball team swept a double header from visiting Aquinas on Saturday by finals of 10-4 and 8-0 (5 inn.). The wins extend MU’s winning streak to five games and keeps the Crusaders firmly in first place in the WHAC at 5-1.

GAME ONE
AQ struck first in the opening game of the day, plating a pair of runs off of MU starter Jess Irwin (Monroe, Mich.) behind a three hits and a Crusader miscue to stake itself to a 2-0 lead after just half an inning.

Madonna responded in a hurry, as Brittney Scero (Canton, Mich.) led off with a single and came home on Cat Sidor’s (Livonia, Mich.) triple to the wall in right center to cut the lead in half at 2-1 after one complete.

The Crusaders broke the game open in the second, scoring five runs to take the lead for good. Ashley Shay (Garden City, Mich.) led off with a double and was followed by Mary Kate Setta (Grass Lake, Mich.) drawing a walk. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch to put runners at second and third with no one out. Kelly Lesko (Trenton, Mich.) and Kathleen Smiley (Wixom, Mich.) also drew free passes to force in a run and make it 2-2.

After AQ got MU to line into a double play, Smiley and Lesko each moved up on a steal and Sidor loaded the bases by drawing a walk and Tedi Johnston (New Boston, Mich.) cleared the bases with a double of her own to make it 5-2 Madonna after two complete.

MU scored single runs in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings to push the lead to 10-3 heading into the seventh. Ashley Aspinall drew the Saints to with in six at 10-4 with a homer in the top of the seventh, but it was too little as Irwin struck out Jacki Plough to end the game.

Irwin was once again stellar in the circle as she scattered eight hits and at one point struck out five straight Saint hitters. The freshman righty recorded 11 punch outs on the day while walking just one for her seventh win of the season. Scero led the way at the plate posting two hits while Sidor had three RBIs.

GAME TWO
Madonna struck first in game two, plating a single run in the first as Sidor hit a one-out single and came home on a Finch double to give the home side a 1-0 lead. MU struck for another run in the second as Lesko drew a walk and promptly stole second. She came home on a Scero double to right for a 2-0 Madonna lead.

After being held scoreless in the third, the Crusaders plated three runs in the fourth. Shay and Tara LaMilza (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) led off with singles and Lesko followed them with a double to plate Shay for a 3-0 lead. LaMilza then stole home to make it 4-0 and Lesko came home on a Sidor single for a 5-0 lead after four innings.

The Crusaders put the game away in the fifth, scoring three more runs as Finch and Danielle Richardson (Flint, Mich.) reached to open the inning. LaMilza hit a one out single to load the bases for Lesko. Lesko worked the count for a walk and force in a run for a 6-0 lead. After Richardson was cut down at home on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Rachael Kethe (Lennox, Mich.), Scero singled to left center to score Lesko and LaMilza and give Madonna the 8-0 win in five innings.

Liz Ballinger (St. Johns, Mich.) scattered three Saint hits over her five innings of work for her seventh win of the season. Scero posted two hits and drove in three in the night cap while Lesko scored three runs while driving in two and LaMilza was 2-for-2 off the bench for Madonna.

The Crusaders swing back into action on Tuesday in a double header at Saginaw Valley. First pitch in University Center is slated for 3pm.