LIVONIA, Mich. – WHAC regular season champion Madonna University made it through day one of the 2008 WHAC Softball Championship unscathed and will await the winner of the Aquinas/Indiana Tech match-up for the WHAC title as day one of action wrapped up on Wednesday at University Field.

Game One - #1 Madonna vs. #4 UM-Dearborn – 5 Innings

The top-seeded Madonna Crusaders downed the UM-Dearborn Wolves 8-0 in five innings to open play at the WHAC Championship. WHAC Pitcher of the Year Jess Irwin allowed just one hit and two total base runners in picking up her 20^th win of the season. Christina Finch delivered the big blow for MU, clubbing a two-run homer in the first inning, giving the Crusaders a lead they would not relinquish. Finch, Tedi Johnston, Brittney Scero and Ashley Shay each had two hits for Madonna. All-WHAC pick Taylor Janus had the Wolves' lone hit.

Game Two - #2 Aquinas vs. #3 Indiana Tech

The third-seeded Warriors of Indiana Tech over came 11 errors to down the second-seeded Saints of Aquinas 10-6 in game two. After Tech took a 5-1 lead after three innings, AQ tied the game at 5-5 with four runs in the top of the fourth. Tech promptly untied it with five runs in the fifth for a 10-5 lead. The Saints got one run back in the seventh, but it was too little too late as the Warriors won by a 10-6 final. Monique Crow led Tech with three hits while Brittany Miller had four RBIs in the win. All-WHAC pick Jessica Williams picked up the win for Tech. Samantha Kendall had three hits for AQ and Amanda Heuvelman added two RBIs in the loss.

Game Three - #2 Aquinas vs. #4 UM-Dearborn – 8 Innings

In the championship's first elimination game, Aquinas got a walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning from Jackie Plough to end UM-Dearborn's season in a 5-4 AQ win. Aquinas took a 2-0 lead in the first, but UMD made it a one-run game at 2-1 in the top of the fourth. After AQ made it 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning, it stayed a two run game until the Wolves took the lead at 4-3, by plating three runs in the top of the sixth. AQ knotted the game at 4-4 with a run in the bottom of the seventh, using three hits and taking advantage of a UMD error to send the game to extra innings. The Wolves had runners at second and third, but could not convert; keeping it 4-4 and setting up Plough's game winning score. The AQ catcher led off the bottom of the frame with a home run to right center and kept the Saints' post season hopes alive.

Game Four - #1 Madonna vs. #3 Indiana Tech

The top-seeded Crusaders scored all four of their runs in the fifth to give starter Jess Irwin more than enough to work with as the freshman righty struck out 10 Warriors, allowing just one hit and three total runners in the game in picking up her 21^st win of the season. Christina Finch had two hits for MU while Brittney Scero drove in two with a triple. MU's Cat Sidor saw her school record 30-game hitting streak end with an 0-for-2 day at the plate. Jenn Anderson had Tech's base hit.

Madonna moves on to the WHAC finals tomorrow and will face the winner of the AQ/Ind. Tech game. Play gets underway on day two with AQ and Tech at Noon, while MU takes the field at 2pm against the winner.