(Livonia, MI) – The Cardinals were back in action Saturday afternoon for a WHAC road series against the #RV Madonna Crusaders. After dropping a tight first game 2-1, the Cardinals stormed back with a convincing 6-1 victory in game two.

GAME 1 – Madonna 2, CUAA 1

Paige Anderson started on the mound for the Cardinals, and she was rolling off the bat, allowing just one hit and two total base runners in the opening pair of innings. Concordia threatened in the top of the 2^nd, picking up a pair of one-out hits from Dee Campbell and Jada Stephenson to get a runner in scoring position, but were thrown out at home for the final out of the inning on a Sarah Tyrell single.

After CUAA failed to convert with a runner in scoring position in the top of the 3^rd, Madonna responded in the bottom of the frame with a two out double to left field, scoring the first run of the game to go up 1-0. The pitchers would continue to roll on both sides with a scoreless 4^th inning, before a two-out rally from the Cardinals in the top of the 5^th dented the scoreboard in Concordia's favor. After a two out walk by Lauren Martin, Payton Lewis drove a single to right field, and following an error by the Crusader outfielder, Martin would make it all the way around to score and knot the game at 1.

In the bottom of the 5^th, Madonna would get runners on the corners with no outs, and converted a groundout to short into a go-ahead run, making the game 2-1. The Crusaders continued to threaten, getting a pair of runners in scoring position with just 1 out, but Paige Anderson would force a pair of fly outs to escape the jam with just one run conceded.

The Cardinals looked to strike back in their final two innings at the plate, but the Crusader pitching continued to dominate, preventing CUAA from recording a single base runner in the final two innings on offense and securing a 2-1 victory in the opening game of the day for Madonna.

Paige Anderson (11-6) was credited with the loss in the contest, pitching all 6 innings on the mound for Concordia and recording a pair of strikeouts while conceding 7 hits and no walks.

GAME 2 – CUAA 6, Madonna 1

The Cardinal bats accelerated in the second half of the doubleheader, using Payton Lewis' lead off single in the top of the 1^st as a blueprint towards a 12-hit outing. Despite Lewis getting into scoring with just one out in the opening frame, they would be unable to drive her home in the inning. Paige Anderson was once again on the mound for Concordia to start the second game, allowing a pair of base runners with one out before skillfully working out of the jam to keep the scoreboard blank in the 1^st. Both sides tallied at least one hit in the second inning, but neither could bring anybody home.

In the top of the 3^rd, Concordia built offensive momentum, as a Bella Lee walk and Payton Lewis single followed by a Sarah Tyrell sacrifice bunt had two runners in scoring position with just one out. Shannon McAlinden would then drive home Caitlyn Traviglia for the first run of the game, before a Dee Campbell sacrifice fly score Payton Lewis, doubling the Cardinal lead and making it a 2-0 advantage heading into the bottom of the 3^rd.  

The Crusaders responded with a run of their own off a single to centerfield, but Anderson would once again strand a pair of Madonna runners in scoring position to end the inning with CUAA still up 2-1. In the top of the 4^th, Lauren Martin singled with two outs, allowing Caitlyn Traviglia to drive a triple to right field and score Martin, putting the Cardinals back up by 2 runs. After a 1-2-3 inning on the mound by Paige Anderson, Lauryn Rhodea and Shannon McAlinden would get on 2^nd and 3^rd base with just one out in the top of the 5^th, allowing Koryn Playford to hit a sacrifice fly to right and make the CUAA lead 4-1.

Elyse Brittain took the mound in relief in the bottom of the 5^th for Concordia, going 1-2-3 herself to get the hot Cardinal bats back up to the plate. Lauren Martin singled and Payton Lewis doubled with one out to get a pair of runners in scoring position once again in the top of the 6^th, before Sarah Tyrell took over with an RBI single to drive home Martin, then stole second and forced a throw that scored Payton Lewis during the next at bat to make it 6-1 in favor of the Cardinals. Elyse Brittain continued to impress on the mound for the remainder of the contest, retiring the final 6 Madonna batters in order (following a 1-2-3 5^th inning) to finish off a 6-1 win for CUAA.

Paige Anderson (12-6) went four innings, giving up just five hits and a run as she picked up the win this time around. Elyse Brittain was perfect on the mound, getting all 9 Madonna batters she faced out, including striking out four, to pick up the 3-inning save in the victory. Payton Lewis led the squad in game two with a trio of hits, while Lauren Martin and Shannon McAlinden each picked up two hits in a big win for Concordia.

TOP PERFORMERS

Payton Lewis paced the Cardinal offense at the plate, going 5-for-6 with a double and RBI, while McAlinden, Tyrell, and Playford all recorded a pair of hits and an RBI during the series. Lauren Martin also picked up a pair of hits in 5 plate appearances.

Paige Anderson pitched a total of 10 innings on the mound, surrendering just 3 runs and 15 base runners (not including errors) as she led an impressive day for CUAA defensively. Brittain's perfect trio of innings accounted for her 2^nd save of the season and 4^th total this year for Concordia.

UP NEXT 

The Cardinals will be back in action this Wednesday, April 12th when they play a make-up series against the Aquinas Saints. The doubleheader is set to begin at 3pm at Davenport University in Grand Rapids, MI.