Cougars and Crusaders Split in Wild Back-and-Forth Games

(Howell, MI) -- The Cleary Cougars baseball team took on the Madonna University Crusaders today in a WHAC Conference matchup. They would split the doubleheader today in back-and-forth action between the two teams. 

In Game 1: Madonna would kick off to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the 1st inning but the Cougars would claw back. In the 3rd inning, Brice Wesley would single scoring Marcel Garcia making it a 2-1 game. After Madonna increased the lead to 3-1, the Cougars would score 4 runs in the 4th inning to make it a 5-3 Cougar lead. Max Tomeszewski got the scoring started with a bases-loaded walk. Zach Agemak would double to left center 2 RBIs and Gavin Kempainen would drive the final run of the inning home on an error. The Crusaders would find a way to tie the game in the 5th inning, scoring 2 runs on 3 hits. In the bottom half of the inning, Sam Browne would reach 1st base on a walk and ultimately advance to 3rd base. Robert Kortas would then single to center giving the Cougars a 6-5 lead. Cougar pitcher Haden Fisk would shut down the Crusaders in the 6th and 7th innings only allowing 1 hit in the two innings, giving the Cougars the much-needed 6-5 win. 

Haden Fisk (3-1) would pick up the win on the mound after going the complete game 7.0 innings while allowing 5 runs on 10 hits. Robert Kortas would go 2-3 at the plate with the go-ahead RBI in the game as well. 

In Game 2: After an early 1-0 lead for the Cougars, the Crusaders would go on to score 4 runs in the 2nd inning with the help of a few Cougar errors. The Cougars wouldn't let this get to their head as they would retake the lead with 5 runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning making it a 6-4 ballgame. Brice Wesley, Ben Cerven, and Robert Kortas would pick up RBI singles in the inning. In the 3rd inning, Ben Cerven added 2 more runs to the board with a single to center field scoring Zach Agemak and Gavin Kempainen. Madonna would then go on to score 8 straight runs to take a 12-8 lead. In the 8th inning, the Cougars would fight back. Sam Browne would get things started with a double to left center scoring Ben Cerven. Marcel Garcia would pick up an RBI single as well, and another run scoring on a wild pitch. This wouldn't be enough for the Cougars unfortunately as they would go on to lose 12-11. 

Jacob Savina would make the start for the Cougars, going 4.0 innings while allowing 6 runs (4 earned) on 8 hits. Kyle Downard (1-1) would suffer the loss after going 1.0 innings pitched while allowing 2 runs on 0 hits with 3 walks. Ben Cerven would pick up 3 hits with 3 RBIs as well. 

The Cougars now sit at 13-25 overall on the season and 10-14 in WHAC Conference play. The Cougars enter tomorrow sitting 9th in the conference with another doubleheader against the Crusaders. They will honor the 2023-2024 Senior class with Senior Day tomorrow with the festivities starting at 12:30 PM. First pitch will follow shortly after.