Game 1 Box Score       Game 2 Box Score

The Malone University softball team earned a home doubleheader sweep against Grace (IN) College on Friday afternoon. The Pioneers pocketed a 9-0, five-inning win in game one behind the efforts of a shutout tossed by Shelby Snyder and 10 Malone hits.  The hosts then collected an 8-3 victory in game two as Stephanie Byrne earned the complete game win.

With the two wins, Malone improved to 8-20 on the season while Grace fell to 10-30.  The Pioneers have won three of their last four contests and have nearly made it five in a row as their last two losses have come by narrow and identical 11-10 scores.

Malone will be right back in action tomorrow (Saturday) when the Pioneers will host the University of Rio Grande in a doubleheader that is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m.

Game One Recap
The Pioneers scored a pair of runs in their first at-bat as shortstop Kristen Atzenhoefer drilled a base-loaded single to left center that scored the two Malone runners on second and third.

Malone tacked on another run in the bottom of the second inning, this one in unusual fashion, as catcher Jessi Crain, who had tripled earlier in the inning and was standing on third base, was sent home by the plate umpire after a balk was called on the Lancer pitcher.

Then, in the bottom of the fourth, the Pioneers broke the game wide open by dropping six runs on the visitors with four hits coupled with two Grace errors in the inning. Interestingly, Malone scored all six of its runs in that frame after the first two Pioneers batters made outs.  Centerfielder Megan Lane earned the first RBI of the inning on a double to center field.  Two batters later, second baseman Desi Givens tallied two RBI's on a double to right center. Later in the inning, with the base loaded, first baseman Lauren Hershberger racked up three RBI's with a double to right center before the Lancers secured the final out on the next Pioneer batter.

With Malone leading 9-0 heading into the top of the fifth inning, Grace was not able to plate the needed two runs to extend the game, thus giving the Pioneers the final 9-0, five-inning victory.

Snyder posted her fourth complete-game performance of the campaign, improving to 5-7 overall.  She allowed just five hits while striking out five and walking none.

Among the 10 Malone hits in game one, a pair of Pioneers went three-for-three as Givens and Lane accomplished the feat.  In addition, Atzenhoefer tallied two hits in the contest.

Game Two Recap
It appeared that Malone might be headed for another five-inning victory after the hosts jumped out to a 6-0 lead after two innings.

In the first inning, the Pioneers scored one run on a sacrifice fly by Atzenhoefer that scored Lane.  Then, in the second inning, with the help of two Lancer errors, Malone tacked on five more runs as Lane tallied two RBI's with a single to right field, Givens pocketed an RBI single to deep in the hole at shortstop, Atzenhoefer blasted an RBI double to left center and Givens crossed the plate as Hershberger reached first on an error by the Grace shortstop.

But Grace would then close its deficit to 6-2 after collecting a run in each of the third and fourth innings.

Malone would score two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI single by rightfielder Katy Carr and a sacrifice fly to center field by Givens.

Grace was only able to muster one more run in the top of the seventh inning, making the final score 8-3 in favor of the Pioneers.

Malone tallied 12 hits in the game as eight different Pioneers pocketed at least one hit with four athletes (Lane, Carr, Atzenhoefer, Crain) earning a team-best two hits apiece.

Byrne earned the victory for Malone as she scattered six hits over the seven innings and allowed just three earned runs. In addition, she struck out seven batters and walked only two. She improved to 2-4 with the win.