Box Score

The Malone University baseball team suffered a 1-0 loss on Wednesday afternoon in its series finale at Wayne State (MI) University.

The Warriors (16-10 overall, 7-4 GLIAC) brought home the game's only run in the bottom of the fourth.  Wayne State leftfielder Kasey Koster led off the frame by being hit by a pitch and then moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt.  He later advanced to third on a groundout before crossing the plate on a Pioneer fielding error.

Malone (9-16 overall, 2-10 GLIAC) starting pitcher Dillon Stertzbach tossed six strong innings, but came out on the short end of the pitchers' duel.  The freshman right-hander dropped to 0-2 on the season despite giving up just two hits and the one unearned run.

Wayne State starting pitcher Kyler Zimmerman tossed eight shutout innings to earn the win (2-2), scattering six Malone hits while striking out 12.  Warrior closer Clayton Rush then worked a scoreless ninth to register his GLIAC-leading seventh save of the year.

Malone batters reached base in seven of the game's nine innings, but the visitors were unable to manufacture a run.  The Pioneers put runners on first and third with one out in the fourth before Zimmerman struck out the next two hitters of the frame to keep the shutout intact.  Malone threatened again in the eighth, placing runners at the corners following a one-out double by catcher Hayden Mobley and a single by third baseman Bob Suitca.  However, Zimmerman again escaped trouble, this time by inducing an inning-ending, 4-6-3 double play.

Suitca paced the Pioneer offense, ripping three singles in four at-bats.  Wayne State was held to three base hits but also walked six times and reached base twice via hit by pitch.

Malone will look to bounce back over the weekend when the squad travels to Tiffin University for a three-game series with the Dragons.  The two squads will face off in a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday before wrapping up the series with a single, nine-inning game at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday.  Live stats will be available during each contest at http://dragonweb.tiffin.edu/livestats/xlive.htm