Game 1 Box Score           Game 2 Box Score

The Malone University baseball team pocketed a pair of victories at Walsh University in a Thursday afternoon doubleheader as the Pioneers notched wins of 8-5 and 7-3.  A total of 57 hits were smacked by the teams in the two contests with Malone accounting for 33.  In addition, the visiting Pioneers committed only one error overall on the day.

With the pair of wins, the Pioneers improved to 28-19 on the season while Walsh slipped to 26-24 overall.

Malone will be right back in action against Walsh on Saturday when the Pioneers host the Cavaliers in a doubleheader that is set to start at 5:00 p.m.  The event is designated as the ninth annual Bob Starcher Memorial Day in honor of the late and longtime former coach of the Pioneer baseball program.

Game One Recap
Walsh grabbed the early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning before Malone got the equalizer in the top of the third on an RBI single to centerfield, by third baseman Bob Suitca, that scored second baseman Logan Gray who had doubled in the previous at-bat for the Pioneers.

In the top of the fourth inning, Malone broke the 1-1 tie by scoring a pair of runs to grab a 3-1 lead. Rightfielder Marc Adams drilled an RBI double to right field and would later score  in the inning, crossing the plate shortly after shortstop Joe Goddard reached first base on an error.

Walsh pulled to within 3-2 as the Cavaliers scored one run in the bottom of the fifth inning before Malone took a commanding 8-2 lead with five runs in the top of the sixth inning.  That big inning for Malone came on RBI doubles by both Gray and designated hitter Frank Dufour, an RBI single by centerfielder Adam Heideman and a two-RBI single by catcher T.J. Rosenberg.

The hosts did manage to tally three runs in the bottom of seventh inning to close the gap to 8-5 but the Cavaliers could get no closer as the Pioneers posted the three-run victory.

Malone starting pitcher Tyler Newhart earned the win, and improved to 6-1 on the year, as he went six innings with a pair of strikeouts, no walks and four earned runs allowed.
 
Malone held a 17-13 edge in hits in the contest as Rosenberg led the squad, going 4-for-5.  Suitca and Gray each tallied three hits in the contest.  Walsh centerfielder Justin Clements paced the Cavalier bats as he went 4-for-4 in the game.

Game Two Recap
The teams followed up the 30-hit effort in game one with 27 more hits in the nightcap as Malone pounded out 16 in the game to Walsh's 11.

Suitca opened the scoring right away for Malone as he blasted an RBI triple to left center in the top of the first to give Malone the early 1-0 advantage. 

Walsh tied it up in the bottom half of the inning at 1-1 but the visitors scored one run in each of the second and third innings to take a 3-1 lead after three.  Those pair of runs came on an RBI single (2nd inning) by first baseman Matt Anderson and on an RBI ground out to second base (3rd inning) by Suitca as Gray scored.

Malone tacked on another run in the top of the fifth as Gray scored again during a throwing error to first base.  Walsh then trimmed its deficit to 4-3 in the bottom half of the fifth with a pair of runs.

The visiting Pioneers then put the game away by scoring twice in the top of the sixth and once in the top of the seventh to seal the 7-3 victory. Those three runs were plated as leftfielder Sam Craciun and Gray notched RBI singles (6th inning) and Rosenberg blasted a solo home run (7th inning).

Malone starting pitcher Matt Litty collected the victory, and improved to 3-1 on the season, as he scattered six hits in 4 1/3 innings. In addition, he had one strikeout and two walks. Pioneer closer Nate Morrison, who came on during the seventh inning and secured the final three outs, picked up his seventh save of the campaign.

Anderson and Gray each had a team-best three hits in the contest for Malone.