Cougars' Late-Game Rally Falls Short in 12-Inning Loss to Madonna

(Livonia, MI) -- The Cleary Cougars Baseball team traveled to Livonia, MI today to take on the Madonna University Crusaders. The Monday doubleheader was a makeup from March 15 when the two teams were supposed to play each other originally. 

The Cougars would take a 1-0 lead in the first when Brendan Seman doubled to score Conner Boone, however, Madonna would get that run back in the home half of the inning. The Cougars retook the lead and made it a 2-1 ballgame in the second with an RBI single from Gavin Kempainen. Madonna would go on to score three more runs and retake the lead in the third inning. The Cougars tied the game back up in the fourth with two runs, however, Madonna's offense would continue to put up runs and score three more. With the Cougars down three, they would get the opportunity to tie the ball game 7-7 with a three-run home run from Brodie Mackay in the fifth. Madonna would retake the lead in the sixth scoring one run and look to shut down the Cougars in the seventh to end the ballgame. With two outs in the seventh, an error by the Madonna shortstop would allow a Cougar run to score to tie the game and we would go to extra innings. A pitcher's dual would start there as both teams would be unsuccessful in scoring runs in the eighth and ninth innings. In the tenth, the Cougars retook the lead at 9-8 from an RBI single from Brice Wesley. With two outs in the bottom of the tenth the Crusaders were able to tie the game 9-9 on a RBI single. The Cougars would be shut down in the eleventh and twelfth despite getting runners on base. Madonna would go on to hit a walk-off single with two outs in the twelfth and win the ballgame by a final of 10-9. 

Hector Montilla got the start for the Cougars and would throw the first 3.2 innings. Conner Boone finished with three hits and one RBI.

The Cougars are now 11-10 overall and 1-2 in WHAC Conference play. Game 2 was started, however, it was suspended in the top of the fourth inning due to darkness. That game will be resumed at a later date. For now, the Cougar's next game is Wednesday, March 19 when they travel to Mt. Pleasant, MI to take on NCAA Division I Central Michigan University. The game will be a single 9-inning game that will start at 3:00 PM.