Game 1 Box Score  |  Game 2 Box Score

The Malone University softball team split its American Mideast Conference doubleheader at Carlow (PA) University on Saturday afternoon, posting a 10-0 victory in the opener before falling by a 9-8 final in game two. The Pioneers' record moved to 16-19 overall and 6-6 in the AMC following Saturday's action while the Celtics now hold a 12-19 overall mark, including a 3-7 record in conference play.

Malone took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning of game one on a two-out RBI double by shortstop Kristen Atzenhoefer. The Pioneers then put the game out of reach with five runs in the fifth and four more runs in the sixth. Atzenhoefer got things going in the fifth with a two-run double.  Third baseman Megan Lane then delivered the big blow in the sixth by belting a two-out, two-run double. Pitcher Brittany Larch earned the victory in the circle (8-7) after limiting Carlow to three hits through the first five innings. Larch also made solid contributions with her bat, driving in two runs in the sixth with a two-out single. All nine members of the Malone batting order tallied at least one base hit in the six-inning, run-rule victory as rightfielder Brittany Stevenson led the way with three singles.

The Pioneers grabbed a 5-2 lead in the top of the fifth inning of game two on a two-out, two-run double by centerfielder Elizabeth Sarkissian. Carlow fought back to tie the game at 5-5 with a bases-loaded double in the bottom of the inning and then took the lead for good with four more runs in the sixth. Malone pulled to within 9-8 in the top of the seventh on back-to-back one-out RBI base hits by leftfielder Sarah Samblanet and Sarkissian. The Celtics managed to hang on for the win, though, after retiring the next two batters of the inning, leaving Sarkissian, the tying run, stranded on second base. Atzenhoefer, Samblanet, and third baseman Kelsee Locker all tallied three hits apiece for the Pioneers while Sarkissian plated a total of four runs with her two-run double in the fifth and a two-run single in the seventh.

Malone, currently fifth in the AMC standings with a 6-6 conference mark, is scheduled to wrap-up its regular-season schedule next Monday with a 2:30 p.m. non-conference doubleheader at home against John Carroll University. However, prior to this regular-season finale, the Pioneers are hoping to complete their AMC twinbill against Cedarville University which was rained out this past Friday. A definite make-up date for Friday's postponed contests against the Yellow Jackets has yet to be determined. The top four finishers in the final AMC regular-season standings qualify for the conference's postseason tournament.