Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The Malone University baseball team registered a 1-1 record in its Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) doubleheader with Saginaw Valley State (MI) University on Saturday afternoon at Thurman Munson Stadium.

The Pioneers scored three times in the seventh inning to rally for a 6-4 triumph in the opener.  The Cardinals then bounced back for a 5-1 victory in game two, utilizing a pair of home runs and strong outing from starting pitcher Scott Sency.

Although the games were played at Malone's home field, the Pioneers batted in the top half of each inning as the away team due to the fact that the weekend series was originally scheduled to be played at Saginaw Valley State.

Malone's record moved to 12-19 overall and 5-13 in the GLIAC following Saturday's action while SVSU now stands at 10-14 overall and 8-6 in conference play.

The two squads will wrap up the three-game weekend series on Sunday at Thurman Munson Stadium with a single, nine-inning game, starting at 11:00 a.m.

Game One Recap
The Pioneers pulled out to a 3-1 lead in the opener, scoring solo runs on a second-inning RBI single by second baseman Tyler Eagon, a fourth-inning RBI single by designated hitter Taylore Baker, and a sixth-inning Cardinal error.

SVSU went ahead 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth, tying the game with an RBI single and a sacrifice fly and then taking the lead with a squeeze bunt.

Malone answered right back in the top of the seventh, though, grabbing a 6-4 advantage after plating three runs of its own.  Rightfielder Michael Chack got the frame started with a walk and then moved to second on a bunt single by third baseman Bob Suitca.  A Cardinal throwing error followed, allowing Chack to cross the plate with the tying run.  Baker then lined a two-run single to center to give the Pioneers a two-run lead.

Starting pitcher Jared Messer followed with a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh to cement the come-from-behind victory.  Messer improved to 4-3 on the year after surrendering the four runs on four hits over his seven innings of work.

Baker, who had appeared primarily as a starting pitcher during the first half of the season, made the most of his opportunity to contribute offensively, going 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBI's.  Suitca also posted three hits in four at-bats with one run scored.

Game Two Recap
Cardinal third baseman Andy Orr staked SVSU to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning of the finale by lifting a two-out RBI single to left-center.  Catcher Matt Davis evened things up for Malone in the top of the second, lining a two-out single just inside the rightfield line to score Baker from second.

Orr made it 2-1 in the fourth by hammering a homer over the leftfield fence.  The Cardinals then tacked on three more runs in the fifth, crossing the plate on a Pioneer throwing error and a two-run homer to right by first baseman Ryan Hotmer.

Sency worked the first 6.2 innings for SVSU, improving to 1-1 on the year after limiting the Pioneers to four hits and the one run.  Dylan Wisniewski came on to relieve Sency with runners on first and third in the top of the seventh and induced a groundout to second for his first save of the season.

Freshman Dillon Stertzbach suffered the loss for Malone after hurling the first five innings.