AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - - The Madonna softball team traveled to Rochester College for a mid-week double header and had to come from behind to secure a pair of wins and extend its winning streak to seven games with 4-1 and 3-2 triumphs on Wednesday. 

GAME ONE
Rochester struck first for its only run of the game in the bottom of the first as Jessica Crook reached on a Madonna miscue to put a runner on first. After a sac bunt moved Crook to second, Janna Little scored Crook on a single to make it 1-0 Warriors after one.

The Crusader bats got even in the fifth as Christina Finch (Homer, Mich.) led off with a single, but was erased on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Danielle Richardson (Flint, Mich.) to keep a runner at first. Mary Kate Setta (Grass Lake, Mich.) then drove Richardson home on a double to center to make it 1-1 after four and a half innings.

MU then took the lead in the top of the sixth as Kelly Lesko (Trenton, Mich.) reached to open the inning with a bunt single and she moved up on Brittney Scero’s (Canton, Mich.) sac bunt. Cat Sidor (Livonia, Mich.) roped a single to second and Lesko tried to score, but was thrown out at home to keep the game 1-1. Sidor stole second and then came in on a Tedi Johnston (New Boston, Mich.) single to give the visitors the lead at 2-1.

The royal and gold tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh. Kathleen Smiley (Wixom, Mich.) doubled and was followed by a pinch-hit double by Ashley Shay (Garden City, Mich.) to plate Smiley and make it 3-1. MU plated run four as Rachael Kethe (Lennox, Mich.) doubled in Shay for a 4-1 lead.

Irwin had just one hic-up in the seventh, issuing a walk before striking out the final two hitters to push her total to 11 for the game and pick up her eighth win of the season. The freshman righty allowed just two hits and one walk to go along with the 11 punchouts. Finch was the only MU player to post two hits as four different Crusaders drove in runs in the win.

GAME TWO
Game two of the day was another low scoring affair as neither team could get the offense going until the Warriors plated a run in the bottom of the fourth, taking advantage of a pair of Crusader miscues to take the 1-0 lead.

The Madonna offense answered back in the sixth as Scero led off with a double and scored in a Sidor single to make it 1-1. MU advanced Sidor to second on a sac bunt but could not get her any further as Irwin (who was pinch hitting for Finch) and Richardson left Sidor on the bases and the game at 1-1.

Just as fast as it was 1-1, RC made it 2-1 as the Warrior pitcher Little hit a homer that stayed just inside the foul pole as it sailed over the fence in left to give the home team a 2-1 lead heading into the seventh.

The Crusaders were down to their final out when Lesko laid down a bunt single that the Warriors could not throw to first in time to nab her and give MU life. Smiley reached on a fielding error by the RC right fielder to score Lesko and make it 2-2. Scero then reached on another Warrior error, allowing Sidor to come to the plate and drive in the game winning run in the form of Smiley with a single to third to give MU a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.

Michelle Henning (Toledo, Ohio) got the first hitter to strike out before injuring herself during a walk to Crook. Head coach Al White then brought in Irwin for her first career save opportunity. Irwin got the final two Warrior hitters to strike out for her 12^th and 13^th strike outs of the day and her first save in a 3-2 Madonna win.

Henning picked up the win, going 6 2/3 innings, striking out three while only allowing four hits. Lesko and Sidor each had two hits in the night cap.

The Crusaders will now turn their attention back to WHAC action with six key league games this weekend. MU sits in a tie for first with Indiana Tech at 5-1 in league play and the Warriors come to University Field for a 4pm Friday double header. Madonna then takes on Concordia at University Field in a Saturday twin bill before heading two Fort Wayne to wrap up the season series with the Warriors on Sunday. Both Saturday’s and Sunday’s games start at 1pm.