(Ann Arbor, MI) - The Concordia Cardinals returned home for a two-game series against the Crusaders from Madonna. The Cardinals enter the short series with an overall record of 27-3 while the Crusaders enter at 16-11.
The teams would split the doubleheaders with the Crusaders taking game 1 8-5, while Concordia took game 2 by a score of 11-8.
GAME 1 - MADONNA 8, CONCORDIA 5
Drew Murphy got the nod in the first game of the day. Murphy would last three innings and plus a couple of batters, he would give up eight baserunners and six runs with only four earned. Trey Acker would come into trouble with runners on second and third in the fourth and allowed the two inherited runners to cross the plate.
Madonna would get on the board following a first-pitch single and a home run over the left-field wall. Murphy would get three of the following four batters out, with a part in thanks to a great diving catch from Jarrett Battanian in the right-center field gap. The top of the second inning would see another two spot for the Crusaders as they were able to piece together a couple of hits for the early 4-0 lead.
CUAA would grab their first run though in the bottom half of the inning in an inning that was started when Jordan Sherman was walked and Caleb Harmond was hit by a pitch. Sherman would score off of an Aaron (AJ) Brazelton single to left field to bring the Cardinals within three.
Another two runs would go on the board in the top of the fourth for Madonna as they pieced together an error, some singles, and a sacrifice fly to make the score 6-1. The Crusaders added a run in the sixth on a home run to left center field. The final MU insurance run would come in the seventh when they grabbed an RBI single.
The Cardinal's offense would not give up in the final part of the game as they were able to attempt a comeback by putting up five runs in the seventh. Kyle Hebner doubled home Brazelton and Harrison Ryan, and then Aaron West singled home Hebner in the next at-bat. The final run came off the bat of Sherman as he brought West home.
Kyle Winslow pitched the final inning for CUAA giving up three hits while allowing one unearned run.
GAME 2 - CONCORDIA 11, MADONNA 8
Getting the start in Game 2 was Logan Fleming as he would pitch an inning plus a couple of batters as he had five baserunners with four crossing the plate in the game. Kenneth (Dave) Rozmys pitched 6.2 innings as he picked up the win in the game striking out four batters along the way. The final pitcher of the game saw Evan Jasiak pitch the final 1.2 innings allowing two hits with no runners crossing the plate.
Madonna would once again get on the board first in the first two innings of the game as they plated five runs over the first two innings. They scored with a home run, a double, and a single.
Jordan Sherman tallied the Cardinal's first run of the day on a home run to left-center field that was nearly robbed but hit a flag pole in the outfield. Five more runs crossed the plate as Hebner brought in Harrison Ryan and Caleb Harmond scored on a single. Aaron West sacrificed himself as Aaron (AJ) Brazelton scored. Sherman once again came up clutch for CUAA scoring two more runs on an RBI single.
Brazelton singled up the middle in the fifth inning as he scored Justin Kozlowski. Three Cardinal runs crossed the plate in the seventh with Tyler Wressel scoring on a passed ball, Batanian on a groundout, and Brazelton on an Aaron West single.
A Crusader home run brought the Crusaders within two runs in the top of the eighth, but an insurance run on a Jarrett Batanian double scored Sherman.
TOP PERFORMERS
Jordan Sherman led the Cards in the hitting department going 6-for-8 on the day scoring three runs with one home run and an RBI. Aaron (AJ) Brazelton tacked on four hits with two RBIs. Kyle Hebner and Aaron West added four and three RBIs on the day as well.
Kenneth (Dave) Rozmys pitched 6.2 innings in game two allowing nine baserunners with only two runs crossing the plate. Evan Jasiak (1.2 Innings) and Kyle Winslow (1.0) each earned a 0.00 ERA on the day.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals are back in action here at the Cardinal Baseball fields when they take on the Cornerstone Golden Eagles on Wednesday, April 12 with the first game of the double header beginning at 1 PM.
