LIVONIA, Mich. – The Madonna University softball team clinched the 2008 Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament title with a 7-1 downing of Aquinas College in the tournament championship game. MU will now advance to the NAIA Region VIII tournament next week at Bethel College in Mishawaka, Ind., as the top seeded WHAC team and holds a record of 35-12-1. AQ also advances as the WHAC’s two-seed as does Indiana Tech as the three seed out of the WHAC.

AQUINAS – CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
(MU is “visiting” team via coin flip)
The Crusaders scored early and often, starting with a single run in the first. Tedi Johnston (New Boston, Mich.) reached on a single and after moving up on a passed ball, came home on a single to left by Christina Finch (Albion, Mich.) to make it 1-0 Madonna.

MU added two more runs in the second. Ashley Shay (Garden City, Mich.) led off with a double to right field. Tara LaMilza (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) followed Shay with a walk. Shay then advanced to third on a passed ball and one pitch later LaMilza stole second. After a pop out, Brittney Scero tripled in both runners to make it 3-0 in favor of the home team.

It became 5-0 in the third as Johnston led off with a single up the middle and moved to second on a passed ball. Finch drew a walk and was run for by Mary Kate Setta (Grass Lake, Mich.) Both runners then advanced on a wild pitch. A walk to Danielle Richardson (Flint, Mich.) brought Shay to the plate and the freshman right fielder hit a deep fly ball to right to score Johnston and make it 4-0. LaMilza reached with an infield single to plate Setta and make it 5-0 in favor of Madonna.

The Crusaders made it 6-0 in the fifth, using a LaMilza lead off single and after a sac bunt by Kathleen Smiley (Wixom, Mich.) moved LaMilza up, Kelly Lesko (Trenton, Mich.) tripled in her classmate for the six MU run.

Aquinas answered back in the bottom of the inning using back-to-back hits from Amanda Barrons and Sam Kendall to make it 6-1. MU got that run back in the top of the sixth as Johnston led off with a walk and moved to second and then third on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Finch that was misplayed in the AQ infield. Richardson grounded out to short, but scored Johnston in the process for the final MU tally.

MU starter Jess Irwin (Monroe, Mich.) struck out the side in the seventh, giving the Crusaders both the WHAC regular season and tournament titles. Irwin struck out eight Saints on the day, bringing her two-day tournament total to 29 in 19 innings of work. The win was Irwin’s 22^nd of the season.

Johnston and LaMilza each had two hits for the victorious Crusaders while Scero drove in a pair. Careena DeMull joined Barrons and Kendall with hits for the Saints.

REGION VIII INFO
Host school: Bethel College
Site of tournament: Newton Park Complex
Newton Park 65465 US 31, Lakeville, IN 46536 (574)784-5644 www.newtonpark.org
Newton Park is located on the east side of US 31 and is 11 miles south of South Bend, Ind., and 13 miles north of Plymouth, Ind.

The MU travel party will be staying at the:
Super 8
2160 North Oak Rd.
Plymouth, IN 46563
(574) 936-8856
(574) 936-2569 - FAX