April 29, 2010

Story courtesy of Madonna Sports Information and Athletic Communications

LIVONIA, Mich. - Madonna University (Mich.) head softball coach Al White became the first coach in Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference history to win 400 games as his Crusaders swept visiting Indiana Tech by finals of 8-1 and 7-4 at University Field on April 24.

White now has a career record of 400-217-4 during his 12 seasons at the helm of the Crusaders. A three-time WHAC Coach of the Year (2004, 2008, 2009), White has led the Crusaders to back-to-back WHAC regular season and tournament titles and to a berth in the 2009 NAIA National Championship. The 2009 Crusaders set the program record for wins with 53, while ending the year ranked at No. 13 in the country.

Junior All-American Jess Irwin (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) earned the win in both games, throwing a complete game, two hitter in the opener, striking out 11 before coming in to relieve game two starter Hallie Minch (Garden City, Mich./Garden City) and throwing two innings of perfect relief, striking out four to up her record to 21-3 on the year.

Minch clubbed her second homer of the season in the opener as part of a 2-for-4 game at the plate while senior Cat Sidor (Livonia, Mich./Churchill) collected three hits in the night cap. Fellow senior Britney Scero (Canton, Mich./Canton) scored four runs on the day while collecting a like number of walks.

Tech struck first in the day's opener as Chia Lopez reached base on a Madonna miscue and came home on a Jen Anderson double to stake the Warriors to a 1-0 lead.

Minch tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth with her homer to right field.

MU blew the game open one inning later, scoring six runs all coming with two outs to take a 7-1 lead. Senior Rachael Kethe (Lenox, Mich./Richmond/Western Michigan) led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from junior Kelly Lesko (Trenton, Mich./Trenton). Scero drew a walk to put runners on the corners for Sidor. A ground ball and subsequent fielder's choice off the bat of Sidor erased Kethe but still left two runners on. Junior Ashley Shay (Garden City, Mich./Divine Child Catholic) doubled home Scero to make it 2-1. Junior Tara LaMilza (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Regina Catholic) then drew a walk to reload the bases for freshman Erica Landess (Carleton, Mich./Airport). Landess reached on a Tech miscue that allowed two runners to score and make it 4-1. A failed pick off attempt and third allowed LaMilza to score for a 5-1 lead and a Minch double to the wall in left scored Landess to make it 6-1. Freshman Arielle Cox (Newport, Mich./Jefferson) singled home Minch to round out the scoring in the fifth to put MU on top 7-1.

The Crusaders tacked on an insurance run in the sixth as LaMilza drove in Scero with a single up the middle for an 8-1 lead.

A Madonna miscue allowed a one-out runner in the seventh but Irwin worked around that to retire the final two hitters for the 8-1 win.

Game two of the day saw the Crusaders take an early lead in the bottom of the first when Sidor scored on a Warrior throwing error to put the home side on top 1-0.

Tech came back with four runs in the top of the third with Jessica Williams and Anderson both hitting home runs to put the Warriors up 4-1.

MU made it a one-run game in the bottom of the inning, scoring twice to make it 4-3. Scero led off with a walk and Sidor reached on a fielder's choice but a Tech error allowed Scero to be safe at second to put two runners on. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch before LaMilza singled in Scero to make it 4-2. Landess followed with a single up the middle to score Sidor and trim the MU deficit to just a run at 4-3.

Tech threatened to add to its lead in the sixth with a lead off double and White called Irwin out of the bullpen. Irwin came in and got the next three Warrior hitters to ground out, strike out and ground out to strand a runner at third and keep the game 4-3.

MU rallied for four runs in the bottom of the sixth to retake the lead. Kethe led off with a single and moved to second when the throw on a Lesko hit back to the circle went high and allowed both runners to be safe. Scero then drew a walk to load the bases for Sidor. The Crusader first baseman delivered a two-run single down the right field line that scored Kethe and Lesko to put the Crusaders on top 5-4. Two hitters later Scero came in on a wild pitch to make it 6-4 and a failed pick off attempt on Landess at first allowed pinch runner Kiley Thornton (Ida, Mich./Ida/Owens CC) to score from third for a 7-4 lead.

Irwin struck out the side in the seventh for her second win of the day, a Crusader sweep and White's 400th career win.