Game 1 Box Score  |  Game 2 Box Score

The Malone University baseball team stretched its winning streak to eight straight games on Friday afternoon after notching a pair of road victories against the NAIA's eighth-ranked team, Point Park (PA) University.  Behind yet another shutout pitching performance by right-hander Jared Messerr, MU picked up a 3-0 victory in game one.  The visitors then completed the doubleheader sweep with a thrilling extra-inning victory in the finale, pulling out a 6-5 triumph in eight innings.

Malone improved its record to 15-13 following Friday's action.  Point Park, meanwhile, had its 18-game winning streak snapped, falling to 30-5 overall.

The two teams, both with the nickname of "Pioneers", will complete their four-game weekend series on Saturday afternoon with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader at Thurman Munson Stadium.

Game One Recap
Messer led the way for Malone in the opener, allowing just four hits during his third complete-game shutout of the season.  The junior from Massillon struck out a season-high 10 batters while walking just two to run his record to 6-1 on the season.

Messer, now with five shutouts during his Pioneer career, needs three more to match the Malone all-time mark of eight.  He is also just one shutout away from tying the Pioneer single-season record. 

Point Park put runners on base in every inning of the opener except the fourth, but was unable to get on the scoreboard.  Malone took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third following back-to-back, two-out RBI singles by first baseman Matt Anderson and centerfielder Adam Heideman.  The visitors then tacked on an insurance run in the fifth as shortstop Joe Goddard led off the frame with a single, moved to second on Anderson's sacrifice bunt and then came around to score on a single up the middle by Heideman.

Malone posted seven base hits in the contest.  Heideman led the way with the pair of RBI singles.  Catcher T.J. Rosenberg also tallied two hits with a double down the rightfield line in the fourth and a single up the middle in the seventh.

Game Two Recap
Malone entered the bottom of the fourth inning of the finale holding a 5-0 advantage.  Anderson crossed the plate with the first run of the game in the top of the first after reaching on an error and then later coming home on Rosenberg's two-out RBI single.

The visitors then tacked on four more runs in the top of the fourth.  Designated hitter Frank Dufour got things started after tripling into the left-centerfield gap and then racing home on a groundout by second baseman Logan Gray. 

Leftfielder Sam Craciun made it 4-0 after blasting his first home run of the season, a two-run shot over the centerfield fence.  Heideman then wrapped up the frame by driving in Goddard with a two-out RBI single.

Point Park got on the scoreboard with an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth and then pulled to within 5-4 after scoring three times in the bottom of the sixth.  PPU opened the sixth-inning scoring with an RBI double before bringing home two more runs on a Malone throwing error.  With two outs and a runner on second, the hosts then attempted to tie the game on a single to left, but Craciun fielded the ball and fired home, cutting down the Point Park base runner at the plate to keep the score at 5-4.

PPU went right back to work in the bottom of the seventh, leading off the inning with a single before knotting the score at 5-5 on an RBI double to left-center by third baseman Lee Bodnar.  An intentional walk and a groundout then put runners on second and third with one out.  Malone opted to intentionally walk the next batter of the inning to load the bases and then brought in a fifth infielder in hopes of throwing out the winning run at home.  With two Malone outfielders standing in the gaps, the next batter of the inning lined a fly ball to rightfielder Marc Adams.  The senior made the catch for the second out and then fired a strike home to Rosenberg, who applied the tag to a PPU base runner at the plate for the second straight inning to keep the game knotted at 5-5.

Malone then cashed in on the momentum from the game-saving defensive play, pulling ahead 6-5 in the top of the eighth.  Dufour opened the frame with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Gray.  A groundout moved Dufour to third.  Craciun then put Malone in front by delivering a clutch, two-out RBI double to rightfield.

A two-out single and a pair of wild pitches put the tying run at third in the bottom of the eighth, but Malone reliever Nate Morrison, who had entered the game at the start of the inning, managed to induce the next batter to fly out to left to preserve the thrilling victory and earn his second save of the season.

Right-hander Jesse Coblentz earned the victory (2-1) after tossing 1.2 innings of relief.  Tyler Newhart started on the mound and worked the first 5.1 innings, giving up four runs (one earned) on eight hits.

Malone registered 12 base hits in the game.  Craciun went 3-for-4 at the plate, including the two-run homer and the go-ahead double.  Dufour, Goddard and Heideman all added two hits apiece.