Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The Malone University baseball team split a doubleheader with Northern State (SD) University at the Tucson Invitational on Monday evening.

The Pioneers (4-1 overall) suffered a narrow 9-8 loss to the Wolves (4-4 overall) in game one before bouncing back for a 5-1 victory in the finale.

Malone will be back in action in Arizona on Tuesday with a 2:00 p.m. MST (4:00 p.m. EST) twinbill against Morningside (IA) College.

Game One Recap
Malone entered the bottom of the fifth of game one holding a 7-4 lead before Northern State rallied to tie the game.

Designated hitter Matt Davis put the Pioneers back on top in the top of the sixth with a one-out RBI single but the Wolves managed to rally for a dramatic 9-8 victory in the bottom of the seventh as a walk and a single sandwiched between two Malone errors allowed Northern State to plate the tying and winning runs.

The Pioneers had grabbed a 3-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to a three-run homer by third baseman Bob Suitca.  The Malone lead then grow to 5-0 on an RBI single by first baseman Frank Dufour and a run-scoring double by second baseman Bryce Miller.

Northern State got back into the game in the bottom of third, scoring three runs with back-to-back, two-out base hits.

Reliever Jesse Coblentz suffered the loss (0-1) after giving up the two unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh.  Righty Matt Litty started on the mound and worked the first five innings, striking out five while surrendering seven runs (six earned).

Malone totaled 14 hits in the contest, led by Suitca who went 3-for-4 with four RBI's.  Miller also posted three hits in four at-bats while Dufour went 3-for-3 with two runs scored.

Game Two Recap
Northern State would grab a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning of game one on a two-out RBI single.  However, this early score would turn out to be all the offense the Wolves could muster as starting pitcher Tyler Whitlach and reliever David Wright combined to allow just two hits over the final six frames.

Whitlach picked up his first victory of the season after striking out seven over the first five innings.  Wright then worked the sixth and seventh, surrendering just one hit and striking out one.

Malone tied things up with a solo run in the bottom of the third and then pulled ahead for good in the fourth as leftfielder Austin Pachan drove in three runs with a two-out, bases-loaded double.

The Pioneers would then wrap up the scoring in the bottom of the fifth as Dufour led off the inning with a double and then later came around to score on single by rightfielder Hayden Mobley.