Madonna books trip to Bama'

It's Sweet Home Alabama'' for the third time in four years for the Madonna University women's softball team.

The Crusaders capped a 4-0 run in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference playoffs Friday night in Battle Creek with a 4-2 victory over Aquinas College at Bailey Park's Flannery Field.

The victory puts coach Al White's squad, 33-12 overall, into the NAIA National Tournament, May 17-24, in Gulf Shores, Ala. - the same site where the Crusaders played earlier in the season on their spring trip.

Center fielder Arielle Cox, who went 2-for-4, greeted Aquinas starter Ashley White with a lead-off, first-pitch solo homer in the bottom of the first for a 1-0 advantage.

WHAC Player of the Year Jackie Barley then followed with an RBI single in the third to make it 2-0 before the Saints (30-22-1) tied it in the fifth on Renae Tubergen's 2-run single.

But MU secured its championship berth with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a single by Amber Rafko that brought Hallie Minch (Garden City) home followed by a Kasey Trierweiler RBI single.

Freshman Angela Pavilanis, with relief help from Minch in the seventh, scattered eight hits over six innings to improve to 17-3.

Earlier in the day, Minch outdueled WHAC Pitcher of the Year Samantha Cole as the Crusaders earned a 1-0 victory in eight innings over Davenport.

Minch (14-9) gave up just five hits, walked three and struck out four, while Cole (21-10 allowed nine hits, walked one and struck out three.

Caitlyn Keuvelaar drove in Kristen Drabek with the game-winning run.

Cox went 2-for-4 for MU, while Amber Getty went 3-for-4 for the Panthers (33-15-1).

In Thursday's playoff opener, MU used seven RBI performance from sophomore Erin Mayes in a 12-1 win over seventh seed Siena Heights University.

Mayes then came around to score the game-winning run single a walk-off-double by senior Hallie Minch (Garden City) in MU's 2-1 second-round victory win Thursday over Aquinas.

Aquina s (27-21-1) opened the game with a run thanks to a Madonna miscue to take an early lead of 1-0 in the top of the first inning.

But MU quickly responded as winning pitcher Angela Pavilanis singled home pinch-runner Karleigh Creighton (North Farmington) to make it 1-1 in the bottom of the second.

Hitting went cold for both teams until the bottom of the seventh inning. Mayes drew a lead-off walk before Keuvelaar laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance her to second base with only one out. Minch then connected on a walk-off double to left center scoring Mayes and securing the one-run victory.

Pavilanis, allowed just two hits over seven innings to improve to 16-3 on the season.

White (4-10) took the loss for Aquinas.

Trierweiler, who went 3-for-3, and Mayes, who went 2-for-4, each homered in the six-inning mercy rule victory over Siena Heights (27-28-1).

Cox, Drabek and Barley also finished with two hits and two RBI apiece for the Crusaders, who broke open a close game with three runs in the fifth and six in the sixth.

Minch threw a three-hitter, walking only one and striking out six.

bemons@hometownlife.com (313) 222-6851