Box Score

The Malone University baseball team picked up a 10-9 victory on Sunday afternoon in the finale of its three-game Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) series at Tiffin University.

The Pioneers (10-18 overall, 3-12 GLIAC) racked up a season-high 19 base hits in the contest, led by rightfielder Michael Chack, who went 5-for-5 with a walk, a double, four singles, and two runs scored.  Leftfielder Keanan Locke added four hits in five at-bats while centerfielder Daulton Ritter registered three singles and a sacrifice fly.  In all, eight different Malone players registered at least one RBI in the nine-inning affair.

The Pioneers would end up needing all of this offense as Tiffin (15-15 overall, 9-6 GLIAC) rallied back from an early 8-0 deficit, pulling to within 10-9 after plating three runs in the bottom of the eighth.  The Dragons then put the tying run on second base with one out in the bottom of the ninth.  However, Malone closer Jesse Coblentz, who entered the contest at the start of the eighth inning, managed to escape trouble and preserve the 10-9 victory by inducing a line-out to right and a pop-out to short.

Malone got on the scoreboard in the top of the third, scoring on a two-out RBI single by first baseman Jon Crank and a two-out RBI double by designated hitter Logan Gray.  The Pioneers would then tack on three runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to increase their advantage to 8-0. 

Chack brought home the first run of the fourth with an RBI double to right-center.  Catcher Hayden Mobley then added a two-out, two-run double to left later in the frame.  Ritter made it 6-0 with a sacrifice fly in the fifth before shortstop Bryce Miller and third baseman Bob Suitca each added two-out RBI singles.

Tiffin managed just one base hit through the first four innings, but then came alive in the fifth, cutting the deficit in half with a four-run outburst.  The Dragons then inched closer in the sixth, pulling to within 8-6 with a pair of RBI singles.

The Pioneers would give themselves a little breathing room with two unearned runs in the top of the eighth, but Tiffin answered back with three more runs in the bottom of the inning.  Pinch hitter Ryan Williams got the 8th-inning scoring started with a two-run double to center.  Shortstop Roger Christenson then made it 10-9 later in the frame, driving in Williams from third with an infield single.

With one out and runners on first and second, Coblentz managed to bring the Dragons' eighth-inning rally to a close by getting a pop out to foul territory behind home plate and then striking out the next batter.  The senior reliever then escaped trouble once again in the ninth to cement the hard-fought victory.

Righthander Jared Messer started on the mound and earned the victory (3-3) for the Pioneers after tossing the first six innings, giving up six runs on seven hits.  Reliever Jordan Booth worked a scoreless seventh before Coblentz came on for the final two frames.

Brent Faber pitched the first 3.2 innings for TU and was saddled with the loss (2-2) after surrendering five runs on 10 hits.

The Pioneers are scheduled to be back in action on Wednesday afternoon with a 1:00 p.m. home doubleheader vs. Ohio Dominican University.