ADRIAN, Mich. -- Corey Alexander (Toledo, Ohio/Whitmer) pitched a four-hit shutout, helping the Siena Heights baseball team earn a split against Madonna -- a 2-0 win and a 5-3 loss -- in Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference action at Siena Heights Baseball Field on Saturday.

Alexander recorded four strikeouts and three walks in the nine-inning opener. His teammates supported him with a two-run sixth inning.

Marcus Stewart (Clinton, Mich./Clinton) led off the decisive inning with a double. Mike Lollo (Allen Park, Mich./Cabrini) followed with a walk and Kyle Benschoter (Hudson, Mich./Hudson) reached on an error when the Crusaders misplayed his bunt, loading the bases with zero outs.

A sacrifice fly by Cory Lehman (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) plated the first SHU run. Dan Abbott (Plymouth, Mich./Lutheran Westland) added an RBI single.

Lehman finished with a 2-for-3 game, including a double.

Madonna's pitcher, Jeremy Gooding, had 10 strikeouts, one walk and one hit batsman in eight innings of work. He allowed one earned run on six hits.

In the seven-inning nightcap, the Saints (14-9, 4-2) fell short in their quest to come back from a 5-0 deficit.

Josh White (Brooklyn, Mich./Columbia Central) led off the seventh with a home run and then Todd Vandercook (Boca Raton, Fla./West Boca Raton) smacked a double to chase Crusader starter Aaron Saarela.

Madonna's next hurler, Robert Fraser, induced one out before a Lollo RBI single and Benschoter walk trimmed the Saints' deficit to 5-2.

The Crusaders (18-12, 3-3) then went to closer Randall Stempek, who gave up an RBI single to Lehman before getting the final two outs.

The visitors scored all of their runs in the fifth: a two-run SHU error, a two run double by Steve Pelletier and an RBI single by Matt Cook.

Saarela was officially credited with six innings pitched, giving up two runs on three hits while recording two strikeouts, four walks and one hit batsman.

Jake Sperry (Livonia, Mich./Westland John Glenn) was the losing pitcher for Siena Heights. He gave up four hits in 4 2/3 innings. None of the runs scored against him were earned. Sperry also finished with three strikeouts, two walks and one hit-by-pitch.

The Saints and Crusaders will meet again on Sunday at SHU Baseball Field with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.