Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The Malone University baseball team dropped both games of a doubleheader with Northwestern (IA) College on Wednesday afternoon at the Tucson Invitational.

Despite a late Pioneer (5-4 overall) rally, the Red Raiders (6-3 overall) managed to secure a 10-7 triumph in the opener by scoring four runs in the top of the seventh inning.  Northwestern then notched a 4-3 victory in the finale, breaking a 3-3 tie with a run in the bottom of the sixth.

Malone will look to bounce back on Thursday with two more games in Arizona.  The Pioneers will take on Concordia (IL) University Chicago at 2:00 p.m. MST (4:00 p.m. EST) before facing off with Dakata Wesleyan (SD) University at 7:00 p.m. MST (9:00 p.m. EST).

Game One Recap
Northwestern scored three times in the top of the fifth inning of the opener to stretch its lead to 5-0.  The Pioneers crossed the plate once in the bottom of the fifth and three more times in the bottom of the sixth to cut the deficit to 6-4.  Malone's first run of the game came on an error.  Then in the sixth, shortstop Jon Crank, third baseman Tyler Eagon and leftfielder Keanan Locke strung together back-to-back-to-back RBI singles.

The Red Raiders quickly responded, though, stretching their advantage to 10-4 with four runs in the top half of the seventh.  With one out in the bottom of the inning, Pioneer catcher Hayden Mobley cut the deficit to 10-7 by blasting a  three-run homer over the outfield fence.  However, Northwestern held on for the win after retiring the next two Malone batters.

The Pioneers registered nine hits in the game, led by Crank and Locke, who each tallied two base hits apiece.

Right-hander Taylore Baker started on the mound and suffered the loss (0-1) after surrendering five runs over the first five innings.

Game Two Recap
Malone grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning of the finale.  Centerfielder Austin Pachan led off the game with a walk and then came all the way around to score on a triple by shortstop Bryce Miller.  Rightfielder Frank Dufour followed with a sacrifice fly to right, driving in Miller.

Northwestern knotted things up with two runs in the bottom of the inning before the Pioneers pulled ahead in the top of the second on an RBI single by second baseman Tyler Eagon.

The Red Raiders answered right back in the third, tying the game at 3-3 with a two-out RBI double.  The score would then remain deadlocked until the bottom of the sixth when Northwestern second baseman Brett Rolls reached on a fielder's choice, stole second and then raced home on an RBI single by leftfielder Mitch Peschon.

Malone put the tying run on base in the top of the seventh, but was unable to manufacture any additional runs, falling by the 4-3 final.

Freshman righty Dillon Stertzbach went the distance on the mound in his first collegiate start, suffering the loss (0-1) after giving up the four runs on eight hits and striking out three.