Madonna Sweeps Softball to Set Up Dramatic Final Day of Regular Season
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | X | 7 | 10 | 0 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
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1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | X | 3 | 7 | 1 |
(Livonia, MI)-- The Cleary Cougar softball team was on the road, taking on the #16 ranked Madonna Crusaders in a WHAC doubleheader Saturday afteroon.
In Game 1: Mia Rzepka led off the fourth inning with a double, and advanced to third on a Kate Currie sacrifice bunt. Rzepka would score on a wild pitch, and Cleary would hold a 1-0 lead. The Crusaders would tie the game, and then take a 5-1 lead in the bottom half of the inning. Madonna added another pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to lead 7-1, and Cleary would be unable to put a rally together, and fell by that final score.
Halle Dargie would suffer the loss, allowing 4 runs on 7 hits in 3 innings pitched. Cleary got hits from Mia Rzepka and Maddie Bunkoske in the game.
In Game 2: Cleary's offense would sputter in game two, as one of the nation's best held the Cougars to three hits. Mia Rzepka would go 2/3 in the game, while Jenna Wagenschutz added a triple, but Cleary would be unable to score a run in the contest. Madonna took the lead in the bottom of the first, added another in the third, and one more in the fifth, to go on to win 3-0.
Caitlynn Duffey took the loss, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits while striking out 6 batters in a complete game.
Cleary is now 13-23 overall, 8-12 in the WHAC. Sunday's series at Concordia will determine if Cleary is able to clinch a playoff birth. A sweep of the Cardinals guarantees a WHAC tournament birth, while a split ensures at least a tie for 8th place, which Cleary holds the tiebreaker. The game is set for 1:00 PM.