Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The Malone University baseball team posted a 1-1 record on Saturday afternoon in its home doubleheader against Ashland University at Thurman Munson Stadium.  The Pioneers notched a 5-1 win in the opener behind a strong outing from senior starting pitcher Jared Messer.  Ashland starter Jake Baldwin then turned the tables in game two, hurling seven shutout innings to lead the Eagles to an 11-0 victory.

Malone's record moved to 15-21 overall and 8-15 in the GLIAC (Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) following Saturday's games.  Ashland, the squad ranked at No. 19 in the most recent NCBWA (National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association) NCAA Division II National Poll, now stands at 27-11 overall and 15-7 in conference play.

The two squads will wrap up their three-game weekend series on Sunday at Munson Stadium with a single, nine-inning game, starting at 1:00 p.m.

Game One Recap
The Pioneers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning of the opener when catcher Hayden Mobley ripped a two-out RBI double down the leftfield line.  Centerfielder Daulton Ritter then made it 2-0 in the second by smacking a two-out RBI single to rightfield. 

The Pioneer lead grew to 4-0 in the third as third baseman Bob Suitca smashed an RBI triple off the wall in right-center before coming home to score on a groundout by Mobley.  Ashland got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth inning when designated hitter Mackenzie Hampshire lifted a two-out RBI single to center.

Malone then added on a solo run in the bottom of the fifth as Suitca laced a lead-off double to right and then later crossed the plate on an RBI single to left by first baseman Jon Crank.

Messer went the distance on the mound for the Pioneers, improving his record to 5-3 on the year after allowing just the one run on four hits while striking out four.

Malone racked up 14 hits in the contest, led by Ritter who tallied three singles in three at-bats.  Suitca, Mobley, Crank, rightfielder Michael Chack and designated hitter Logan Gray all added two hits apiece.

Game Two Recap
A pair of sacrifice flies gave the Eagles a 2-0 advantage in the top of the second inning of the finale.  Ashland then added four runs in the fourth to make it 6-0 before putting the contest out of reach with five runs in the seventh.

A lead-off single to left in the bottom of the first by shortstop Bryce Miller and a one-out single to left in the fourth by Crank were the only hits that Malone could muster off Baldwin. 

The Ashland right-hander struck out 10 in the complete-game victory, running his record to 4-0 on the season.

Dillon Stertzbach started on the mound for the Pioneers and suffered the loss (0-4) after tossing the first six innings.