West Liberty Box Score  |  SCAD Box Score  |  Brewton-Parker Box Score

The Malone University softball team registered a 1-2 record on Tuesday in three more games at the Smash Hit Tournament in Savannah, Georgia. The Pioneers pocketed a 5-3 victory over NCAA Division II West Liberty (WV) University in the opener before losing game two by a final score of 12-4 in six innings to Savannah College of Art & Design, the tournament's host. Malone then wrapped up its busy day with a 7-4 defeat to Brewton-Parker (GA) College. The Pioneers' record moved to 2-5 following Tuesday's triple-header. West Liberty dropped to 0-8 with the loss to Malone while SCAD improved to 17-4 and Brewton-Parker climbed to 20-5 with their victories.

Two-out home runs by second baseman Nicole Eshelman and shortstop Kristen Atzenhoefer provided all of Malone's scoring in Tuesday's first game against West Liberty. Eshelman's three-run blast to left-center put the Pioneers in front 3-0 in the bottom of the second inning. Atzenhoefer followed with a two-run shot to left center in the third to increase the Malone advantage to 5-0. The Hilltoppers cut into the deficit with a three-run homer of their own in the top of the fifth but were unable to get any closer over the final two innings. Pitcher Jessica Krska started and pocketed the victory (1-1) after tossing the first five frames. Pitcher Lauren Hershberger then entered the game in the sixth and recorded her first save of the year after blanking West Liberty the rest of the way. The Pioneers posted eight base hits in the game as Atzenhoefer, rightfielder Brittany Stevenson, and third baseman Kelsee Locker each notched two hits apiece.

SCAD scored six runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a commanding 8-0 lead in Tuesday's second game. Malone sliced the deficit in half with an unearned run in the fifth and a three-run homer by first baseman Karre Thompson in the top of the sixth. SCAD quickly recovered, though, plating four more runs in the bottom of the sixth to secure the 12-4 run-rule victory. Pitcher Brittany Larch took the loss (0-1) after working the first 3.1 innings. Leftfielder Sarah Samblanet and rightfielder Katy Carr each posted two hits apiece to pace the Pioneer offense.

Brewton Parker led 5-0 after four innings of Tuesday's finale. A two-run single by Eshelman in the top of the fifth pulled Malone to within 5-2. The Barons pushed their lead back to five in the bottom of the sixth with a two-out, two-run single. The Pioneers brought home two runs in the top of the seventh on RBI singles by Larch and centerfielder Elizabeth Sarkissian. Malone then had the tying runs on base with two outs, but a strikeout allowed Brewton-Parker to escape the jam and preserve the 7-4 win. Hershberger started and took the loss (1-1) after giving up four runs (three earned) over the first two innings. The Pioneers posted eight total hits with Larch and Thompson each contributing two apiece.

Malone will wrap up play at the Smash Hit Tournament on Wednesday with two more games. The Pioneers will take on Ohio Dominican University at 10:00 a.m. before facing West Liberty at noon.