Baseball splits four game series with Madonna

(Livonia, MI) - The Rochester Christian baseball team returned to action on Friday and Monday afternoon to play a four-game series with the Madonna Crusaders. 

GAME 1 - MADONNA 16, ROCHESTER CHRISTIAN 4

Lance Jones (4-2) started the first 3.1 innings on the mound, allowing 10 runs (seven earned) on seven hits with five strikeouts. 

MU plated five runs over the first two innings, before RCU got runs in three straight innings in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. Aiden Alspaugh hit an RBI groundout with Cael Kuzinski scoring in the fourth, Nathaniel Crane would come around and score on a passed ball in the fifth, and Aiden Alspaugh recorded another two RBIs with a home run in the sixth, scoring Issander Vega. 

Madonna plated five runs in the fourth and six in the sixth inning to earn the win in the first game of the four-game series. 

Landon Fahey, Will Pflaum, and Louis Frontero closed out the final 2.2 innings, allowing a combined six runs (five earned) on four hits with a trio of strikeouts. 

GAME 2 - MADONNA 23, ROCHESTER CHRISTIAN 0

Dakota Shafer (2-3) started the game on the mound, allowing 11 runs (three earned) on eight hits with four strikeouts. 

Parker Lassner and Aiden Alspaugh recorded the sole two hits for the team in the game. 

Jeffrey Preston (0.1 innings), Christian Rivera (0.1 innings), Keaton Diserens (1.2 innings), and Gavin Swigart (1.0 innings)closed out the rest of the pitching. Rivera allowed seven runs on three hits, Diserens allowed three runs on four hits and a pair of strikeouts, while Swigart allowed two runs on three hits with a strikeout. 

GAME 3 - ROCHESTER CHRISTIAN 5, MADONNA 2

Matthew Redmond (4-3) pitched his second straight complete game and his second consecutive game with 10 strikeouts. Redmond, in total, allowed two runs on five hits. 

The first two batters of the game were the only baserunners to cross the plate for Madonna as they led off with a single, followed by a home run to right field. From that point on, Redmond would leave five runners stranded on base en route to the win. 

The Warriors' offense couldn't get much going offensively in the game until the fourth inning, despite getting a pair of runners on in both the second and third innings. In the fourth inning, Nathaniel Crane would reach base with a walk before eventually coming around to score on a Jayden Peterson RBI single, making it 2-1. Peterson would also account for the second RCU run, hitting in Ryder Zeiman on a fielder's choice. 

RCU loaded the bases up in the seventh inning, before Nathaniel Crane walked with the bases loaded to bring in the go-ahead run. Beau Falkenhagen would follow that up with a pair of insurance runs on a single to left field with Vinnie Campisi and Issander Vega scoring. 

Redmond was able to strand a pair of runners in the seventh to end the game.

GAME 4 - ROCHESTER CHRISTIAN 3, MADONNA 1

Joey Wagner opened the game on the mound for the Warriors, pitching the first two innings, allowing and stranding a pair of baserunners, striking out three batters. 

Despite both teams leaving several runners stranded throughout the first three innings, RCU was able to take the 1-0 lead in the fourth with Dakota Shafer scoring on a passed ball. 

The Warriors would add two more runs in the fifth with Aiden Alspaugh hitting an RBI double down the left field line to score Cael Kuzinski. A couple of pitches later Dakota Shafer hit a single up the middle, scoring Vinnie Campisi, who pitch ran for Alspaugh. 

The Crusaders threatened in both the seventh and eighth innings, but between Landon Fahey in the seventh and Jeffrey Preston and Will Pflaum in the eighth, the Warriors were able to get out of the jam. 

Following a scoreless ninth inning, Madonna hit a leadoff double, which would aid the Crusaders in grabbing their sole run on an RBI groundout, making it 3-1 before Jayden Peterson induced a pop fly to end the game. 

Landon Fahey (1-1) pitched the majority of the game with five innings pitched, allowing two baserunners and striking out six batters. Jeffrey Preston and Will Pflaum combined to pitch the eighth inning, with Preston striking out a batter. 

Jayden Peterson (5 saves) closed out the game, allowing the sole MU run on one hit. 

UP NEXT

The Warriors will be back in action on Wednesday, April 8, when they head to Oakland University to take on the Golden Grizzlies at 2:30 PM.