LIVONIA, Mich. -- The Lawrence Technological (Mich.) University softball team dropped a pair of games to Madonna (Mich.) University 8-2 and 10-9 (9 inn.) on Thursday, April 19 in Livonia, Mich.
Lawrence Tech (14-11, 5-7) fell behind 5-0 after the fourth inning as Madonna's starting pitcher Henry got through the first five innings without yielding a run. The Blue Devils each of the first two innings, but were unable to advance the runners. Brittney Bult (SO/Brampton, Ontario) started in the circle for Lawrence Tech, giving up just one run with two doubles over the first three innings.
In the fourth, Madonna loaded the bases with two outs and scored a pair of runs before Sydney Schultz (SO/Commerce Twp, Mich.) relieved Bult with runners on first and third. Schultz walked the next three batters to give the Crusaders their five-run lead. Sydney Coe (FR/Napoleon, Mich.) came in to close the inning for the Blue Devils and got a pop-out to end the inning.
Madonna (19-11, 7-3) added three more runs in the top of the sixth before Lawrence Tech got on the board. Brittany Wieland (FR/Alexandria, Va.) scored off a Crusader error in the bottom half of the inning to cut the lead to 8-1. The Blue Devils added a second run in the seventh, but a ground out to third ended the game.
In game two, Lawrence Tech trailed 5-0 heading into the bottom of the third, but a seven run half inning gave the Blue Devils a 7-5 lead. Bailey Brown (SO/Mt. Pleasant, Mich.) loaded the bases for Meredith Adams (SO/Portage, Mich. ) who hit a two-RBI double to left field to score Wieland and Katie Cyster (FR/Wyandotte, Mich.). Dana Bigham (SO/Jackson, Mich.) followed Adams with a single to left to reload the bases for Alex Amos (SO/Corona, Calif.). Amos responded with a double to center field to score Adams and Cyster to make it 5-4.
Genna Salski continued to the hot inning as she smashed a three-run shot to center field to give Lawrence Tech a 7-5 lead after three innings. The Crusaders responded with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth to tie it at 7-7 and took the lead in the top of fifth on an RBI single from Johnson. Dana Bigham gave Lawrence Tech the lead in the sixth inning with a two-RBI single to left field to score Brown and Cyster and give LTU a 9-8 lead.
Madonna, with two outs left in the game, got a pinch-hit single by Hang and she advanced on an error by the right fielder. Holton's RBI scored Hang to tie the game at 9-9. The Crusaders were able to winning run in the ninth inning as Holton came through again, this time with an RBI single to give Madonna a 10-9 lead. Lawrence Tech got a runner on second in the bottom of the ninth, but a pair of ground outs ended the game.
Alexa Cherney (SO/Farmington Hills, Mich. ) started the game for Lawrence Tech and went nine innings allowing 10 runs - eight earned - on 15 hits with five strikeouts. Skalski went 2-for-3 with a homerun, three RBIs and a run scored. Bigham went 3-for-5 in the game with two RBIs and a run scored. Adams went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored while Brown went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Lawrence Tech is back in action on Saturday, April 21 when they travel to UM-Dearborn for a pair of games at University of Detroit Mercy's Buysse Field in Detroit, Mich. First pitch of game one is set for 1 p.m.
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