Game 1 Box Score  |  Game 2 Box Score

The Malone University softball team tallied a 1-1 record in a pair of contests at Mount Vernon Nazarene University on Tuesday afternoon.  A complete-game effort by starting pitcher Shelby Snyder helped the Pioneers pocked a 5-2 victory in game one.  MVNU then pulled out an 11-10 triumph in the finale after rallying back from deficits of 7-0 and 9-7.

Malone's record moved 6-20 following Tuesday's games while the Cougars' overall mark now stands at 7-18.

The Pioneers are scheduled to be back in action on Wednesday with a 3:00 p.m. home doubleheader against Salem International (WV) University.  Malone and SIU were originally slated to meet last Monday, but the games were postponed due to wet field conditions.

Game One Recap
With the help of a pair of Mt. Vernon Nazarene errors, the Pioneers scored three unearned runs in the top of the first inning of the opener.  Shortstop Kristen Atzenhoefer brought home the first two scores with a double.  A passed ball then allowed the senior shortstop to cross the plate with the third run of the inning.

Leftfielder Sarah Samblanet made it 4-0 in the top of the third after leading off the frame with a single and later coming home on a sacrifice fly by catcher Jessi Crain.

Cougar second baseman Brittney Kuhn cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the third after smacking a two-out, two-run homer.

MVNU would get no closer, though, as the Pioneers tacked on an insurance run in the fourth with a two-out RBI triple to centerfield by Samblanet.

Snyder turned in her third complete-game effort of the season, improving to 4-7 overall.  She scattered 10 MVNU hits and struck out three, giving up just the two third-inning runs (both of which were unearned).

Malone tallied nine hits in the contest.  Atzenhoefer went 3-for-3 at the plate, adding a single to leftfield in the third and a double to centerfield in the fifth to go with her two-run double in the first.  Samblanet also notched three hits while scoring two runs.

Game Two Recap
Errors again afflicted MVNU in the early innings of game two.  The Cougars recorded two quick outs in the first before back-to-back fielding miscues allowed three runs to score.  A two-out RBI single by Atzenhoefer made it 4-0 in the second.  Two more Mt. Vernon Nazarene errors then followed, allowing Malone to grab a 7-0 advantage after just an inning and a half of action.

However, the hosts quickly recovered by bringing home three runs in the bottom of the second, all on a home run by third baseman Kelsey Berryman.  The Cougars then tied things up with four more runs in the bottom of the third. 

The Pioneers re-gained the lead on an RBI double by Samblanet in the fourth and then made it 9-7 in the top of the fifth with a sacrifice fly by first baseman Lauren Hershberger.

MVNU again answered in the bottom of the inning, knotting the score at 9-9 with an RBI triple and a sacrifice fly.

The seesaw battle then continued in the sixth as third baseman Kelsee Locker put Malone in front 10-9 with a two-out RBI single to center.

The Pioneers' one-run advantage would not last, though, as the Cougars grabbed their first lead of the contest in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run double to left-center by centerfielder Jennifer Gulley.

The Pioneers put one runner on base in the top of the seventh but MU was unable to manufacture any additional offense, falling by the 11-10 final.

Atzenhoefer and Samblanet again led the way for the Malone offense, both tallying two hits in three at-bats.

Pitcher Nicol Chesley suffered the loss (1-9) after tossing the final 3.2 innings in relief.