Game 1 Box Score |
Game 2 Box Score
LIVONIA, Mich. - Davenport traveled to Madonna on Wednesday afternoon for a makeup doubleheader and was swept by the Crusaders 6-0 and 4-1. The two losses are the first in conference play for the Panthers and they prepare to host Northwestern Ohio over the weekend with a doubleheader scheduled for Saturday and Sunday both at 1:00pm.
Looking to make a big statement in conference play after a 4-0 start vs. Concordia two weekends ago, the Panthers made the trek across the state to take on defending champion Madonna but came away empty handed in the win column as the Crusaders outscored them 10-1 in the two contests.
Chris VanGessel (Grandville, Mich.) led the day off with a single but after he was picked off, the DU bats really struggled against MU starter Jeremy Gooding.
After an opening strikeout to begin bottom half of the inning, DU starter
Tucker Gernhard (Stafford, Va.) struggled over the next three batters and a triple steal highlighted the Crusader's two runs to put the home team on top.
Davenport then managed only two base runners over the next five innings with neither getting past second base.
Matt McNeil (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) reached on a walk in the second and the collected one of the Panthers' three hits in the game in the 6th. After getting to second on a putout, McNeil was stranded with two strikeouts to end the frame.
Madonna added to their lead with a pair of runs in each of the fifth and six innings to take a commanding 6-0 lead to the final frame where DU tried to make one last rally. With two outs, DU got McNeil on base thanks to a Madonna error and was joined on the basepaths after a single from
Drew Kennedy (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.) but the game ended on a fielder's choice from
Joe Freist (Shepherd, Mich.).
Gernhard suffered his first defeat of the year as the red-shirt senior allowed four earned runs in five innings pitched while striking out five.
Game two started out very similar to the first as the DU bats stayed quiet until the third when Kennedy opened the frame with a single and was followed by a walk from
Brian Spykerman (Anaheim, Calif.). Unfortunately the Panthers were not able to bring them across the plate.
The Crusaders, on the other hand, got off to a fast start as they scored three runs in the first and one in the third to post a 4-0 lead on DU starter
Cody VanKoevering (Jenison, Mich.).
The Panthers did threaten in the fifth and six innings but came up empty handed until the final inning. DU trailed 4-0 entering the ninth as the final team to bat and just like the first game got a small rally started with two outs.
After reaching on an error,
Matt McNeil would be lifted for a pinch runner and
Travis Laver would eventually come around to score Davenport's first run of the day on a
Dan Brown (Bay City, Mich.) single but the inning ended with DU stranding runners on first and second.
VanKoevering also took his first loss of the year falling to 2-1. Relief pitchers
Colton Loomis (Alma, Mich.) and
Jarrett Luyk (Hudsonville, Mich.) combined to throw 4.1 innings of no-hit ball while allowing only two walks and striking out three.
Davenport, now 16-8 on the year, will host WHAC newcomer Northwestern Ohio on Saturday and Sunday in a pair of doubleheaders. Both days are slated to start at 1:00pm and will be broadcast on the Davenport Athletics Network (DAN).
