Game 1 Box Score  |  Game 2 Box Score

The Malone University baseball team split its home doubleheader against Ohio Wesleyan University at Thurman Munson Stadium on Friday evening.  The Pioneers pocketed a 3-0 victory in the opener as three Malone hurlers combined for a five-hit shutout.  The visiting Bishops managed to bounce back with a hard-fought 2-1 victory in game two, scoring the go-ahead run following a pair of Malone throwing errors in the top of the fourteenth inning.

Malone's record moved to 26-18 following Friday's action while Ohio Wesleyan now holds an overall mark of 22-16.

The Pioneers will return to action on Tuesday with a 2:00 p.m. doubleheader at Cedarville University (31-10 overall).

Game One Recap
Malone grabbed an early lead in the bottom of the first inning of the opener.  After an error, single and walk loaded the bases, third baseman Bob Suitca put the Pioneers in front 1-0 with an RBI single to leftfield.  The hosts then made it 2-0 later in the frame when a run came across the plate on a double-play ground ball.

Malone tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth as leftfielder Michael Chack touched home on an RBI fielder's choice by catcher T.J. Rosenberg. 

These three runs were more than enough offense for Pioneer hurlers Jared Messer, Alex Haines, and Nate Morrison as the trio combined to shutout the Bishops on five hits.

Messer started and picked up the victory (8-2) after tossing the first four innings.  Haines struck out four over the next two frames before Morrison came on to work a scoreless top of the seventh, earning his sixth save of the year.

All three of Malone's runs were unearned in game one thanks to a pair of OWU errors.  Bishop starting pitcher Brandon Sega was saddled with the loss (4-3) after working the first four innings.

Suitca paced the Pioneer offense in the opener with two hits in three at-bats. 

Game Two Recap
Malone got its lone run of the finale in the bottom of the first inning.  Shortstop Joe Goddard led off the frame with a single to left before being erased on a fielder's choice by first baseman Matt Anderson.  Following a strikeout, Anderson then managed to come all the way around to score from first on a dropped fly ball in the Bishop outfield.

However, this early score would turn out to be the Pioneers' only run of the contest as three Bishop pitchers combined to hold Malone off the scoreboard over the next 13 innings.

OWU tied things up in the top of the fifth.  After the first two batters of the inning were retired, a pair of singles to left sandwiched around a Malone error knotted the score at 1-1. 

The contest then remained deadlocked until the top of the fourteenth.  Bishop centerfielder Seth Frentsos reached on a one-out walk to get the frame started and then managed to come all the way around to score on consecutive Pioneer throwing errors.  A botched pickoff throw to first allowed Frentsos to round second and head for third.  Malone managed to recover the ball from foul territory but the throw towards third was wild, allowing Frentsos to zip home with the go-ahead score.

OWU appeared poised to pull ahead in both the ninth and twelfth innings.  However, a strong throw from Malone centerfielder Sam Craciun cut down a runner at the plate in the ninth.  A strikeout and fly out then diffused a bases-loaded situation in the twelfth before the fielding miscues allowed the Bishops to finally break the stalemate in the fourteenth.

All three of the game two runs were unearned as both pitching staffs put together excellent performances.  Tyler Newhart started on the mound for MU, giving up just two hits through the first seven innings.  Two innings of scoreless relief by Jesse Coblentz and four innings by Matt Litty kept the score at 1-1.  Tyler Whitlach was then saddled with the loss (2-5) after surrendering the go-ahead run.

The Bishops, meanwhile, got four innings from starter Charles Cooper and five innings of relief from Steve Skarsten.  Billy Cooper then tossed the final five frames to earn the victory (1-1).

Malone posted six hits in the contest, led by Goddard who went 3-for-6 from the leadoff spot with one stolen base.