Box Score

The Malone University softball team concluded its 2012 season on Monday, sooner than it would have liked, as the Pioneers suffered a 9-1 loss at Cedarville University in the first round of the Ohio Independent Championships. 

Competing in one of two single-elimination “play-in” games to determine who would join the top two seeds in the six-team field for a final four event May 3-4, #5 Malone came up short against the #4 seeded Yellow Jackets in a five-inning contest.  With the loss, Malone finished the year with a 10-25 record while Cedarville improved to 34-19.

With three runs in the first inning and one in the second, the hosts jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead before the Pioneers posted what would turn out to be their only run of the game in the top of the third inning.  Malone plated its run on an RBI single to centerfield by shortstop Kristen Atzenhoefer who drove in Michelle Heacock from third base.

Cedarville broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth inning as the Yellow Jackets scored five runs to grab a 9-1 lead.  The big hit came with two outs as Cedarville rightfielder Rachel Bull, who was 4-for-4 in the contest, smacked a three-run triple to left field just prior to the final out of the inning.

Malone was unable to push across a run in the top of the fifth, to trim the deficit to less than eight runs, which sealed the game for the hosts in the five-inning mercy-rule contest.

Although Malone scored just the single run, the Pioneers did leave two runners on base in four of the five innings.

Five different Pioneers tallied one hit apiece as Cedarville held a 12-5 advantage in hits.

Starting pitcher Shelby Snyder took the loss for Malone and finished the year with a 6-10 record.  Yellow Jacket pitcher Cecelia DeBartolo went the distance for Cedarville and improved to 18-9 on the season.