FAYETTE, Mo. --- The University of St. Francis baseball team rallied late, but could not overcome an early 6-0 deficit in falling to Madonna University (Mich.) 9-6  in the first game of the double-elimination NAIA National Tournament Opening Round on Monday at the Fayette Bracket.

The Crusaders (36-15) got a 2-0 jumpstart on a Brady Krzciok two-out, two-run home run in the first inning.  They would add four more runs in the third inning aided by three walks and a hit batsman, not to mention four hits. 

Of the six runs scored in those two frames, five came with two outs.  For the game, six of Madonna's nine runs were scored after the Saints recorded two outs.

USF (25-27) had its chances to score early, as well, but left the bases loaded in the first inning and two more runners stranded in the second inning.  The Saints put together three straight hits after the first out in the first inning, but Madonna starting pitcher Riley Vermander (6-3) got out of that jam with a strikeout and a groundout.

In the second inning, the first two St. Francis batters reached base before Vermander got a fielder's choice and two more strikeouts to keep USF off the board.

Madonna would add another unanswered run in the seventh inning before getting what turned out to be an all-important two-run home run from Jace Matkin in the eighth inning.  That offset USF's first two runs of the game one half-inning earlier on RBIs from John McGuire (double) and Gio Pappas.  Otherwise, the Saints' four-run ninth inning may have taken on an even more serious nature. 

Nate Maliska drove in one of the runs in the final inning on his team-high third hit (single) of the contest.  Brayan Hidalgo followed with a two-out, two-run home run to account for the final scoring.    

Alex Martinez, Hidalgo and McGuire each had a pair of hits for St. Francis with McGuire's two hits both being doubles.

Sean Michalak saved the Saints' bullpen with four innings of relief, while allowing only one run.

Notes: The Saints will have to wait to find out who they play on Tuesday at 6 pm after rain washed out the second and third games of the tournament on Monday.  USF will square off against the loser of the Central Methodist University (Mo.)/Kansas Wesleyan University contest, which will now take place at 11 am on Tuesday … Eric Maffie, Maliska, Luke Ketchum and Alex Martinez all extended their season-high hitting streaks on Monday led by Maffie at 12 games.  Maliska is now at 10 in a row, followed by Ketchum (nine) and Matinez (six) … Ketchum and Hidalgo have also reached base in 15 consecutive games, while Maffie is at 12 in a row … The NAIA National Tournament Opening Round appearance was the first for the St. Francis program since 2015.

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