LIVONIA, Mich. -- Brent Vaccaro fired a complete game and the duo of Kyle Burkholder and Justin McPherson followed with a six-hit shutout as the Siena Heights baseball team swept Madonna, 5-4 and 9-0, in a Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference doubleheader on Wednesday.
The sweep was the Saints' first twin-killing over the Crusaders in more than 10 years. Madonna was receiving votes in the latest NAIA poll.
After Vaccaro and the SHU defense spotted Madonna an early 4-0 lead in the nine-inning opener, the Siena Heights right-hander settled down and allowed the Saints to score five unanswered runs.
Lucas Bartz drove in a run during the Saints' third inning, trimming the deficit to 4-1.
In the eighth, Nathaniel Kraus ripped a pinch-hit RBI single and Eric Henderson smacked a game-tying, two-run double. Henderson then scored on an error as SHU took the lead for good.
Of the four runs scored against Vaccaro, only one was earned. He gave up eight hits while recording six strikeouts and three walks.
Henderson went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and two RBI. Dennis Sharp Jr. added a 2-for-2 game with one run, Zack Dunlop batted 2-for-4 with a double, and Freddy Jehle added a 2-for-4 outing.
Ryan Lambrecht and Ben Matigian had two hits apiece for Madonna. Levi Larmour, John Lauro and Matt Deneau contributed doubles. Patrick Wierimaa was the losing pitcher.
In game two -- a seven-inning affair -- the Saints took a three-run lead in the first; then, Burkholder and McPherson held the fort.
Sharp had an RBI single and Henderson pounded a two-run triple in that first inning.
Jehle and Austin Hauck scored on wild pitches in the SHU fifth and seventh innings, respectively. In between that, Kraus and Drew Milligan smacked two-run singles in the sixth.
Burkholder worked the first 3 2/3 innings, giving up six hits while striking out one batter. McPherson ended the fourth inning with a strikeout after Madonna loaded the bases against Burkholder.
McPherson finished with 3 1/3 hitless frames with two strikeouts to earn the win.
Henderson finished 2-for-4 with a triple, one run and two RBI while Joe Williams batted 2-for-4 with a run. Jehle was 2-for-2 with three runs.
Lauro went 2-for-3 for the Crusaders (23-11, 13-4). Lambrecht doubled. Cliff Landess was the losing pitcher.
The Saints (13-17, 8-9) will return to action this weekend with a four-game doubleheader against Northwestern Ohio.
