Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The Malone University softball team (7-3-1) collected two wins on the first day of the West Virginia Wesleyan Tournament in Salem, Virginia on Friday to run its season win total to seven, only one shy from their complete total a year ago.
 
The Pioneers stormed out to a 9-0 lead in first inning of their game against Le Moyne College (NY), sending 13 batters to the dish in the inning. Sophomore Emily Isla had two hits in the inning and four rbi's, three of which came on a base-clearing double to cap the scoring. Sophomore Alexa Holztrager also had two hits in the inning, coming around to score two runs.
 
Unfortunately, five of Malone's 10 hits came in the first inning as they were held scoreless the rest of the way. Junior pitcher Jillian Coyle made sure the nine first-inning runs were enough to stand for the win, advancing her record to 5-1 on the season. Le Moyne did manage to push seven runs across against Coyle and brought the tying-run to the plate in the last inning with zero outs, but Coyle retired the next three hitters in order to seal the win.
 
Holztrager finished the game 3-for-4 from her leadoff spot, while freshmen Erika Gerber and Erin Perko joined Isla with two hits apiece.
 
A common theme for Malone this season is getting off to quick stars. Just like in the first game, Malone used a quick start in the first inning of game 2, to catapult them to a 9-5 victory over Salem International University (WV). Five of the first six hitters Malone sent to the plate reached base via a hit. Isla came through with a two-run double in the inning and Gerber also drove in a run with a double. Sophomore Marionna Cane delivered the final blow of the inning, a two-run single to put Malone up 5-0 before Salem International even took its first hacks.
 
The Tigers did narrow the gap with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning but Malone added single runs in the top of the second and third innings to retake a 7-3 lead. Isla continued her torrid day at the plate with an rbi double in the second and sophomore Katie Snoddy hammered a solo shot in the third, her second four-bagger of the season.
 
Again Salem International clawed their way back to within two runs at 7-5 after a two-run fourth inning, but Malone answered with two runs in the top of the sixth, the game's final scoring. Sophomore Desi Hengoed was responsible for the final two runs of the game, driving them in with a two-run double.
 
Junior Stephanie Byrne (2-2) ran her record to .500 with the win in the circle. She hurled seven strong giving up five runs on six hits.
 
Hengoed led the Malone offense with a 3-for-4 and two-rbi performance, while Isla went 2-for-3 with three rbi's, running her rbi total for the day to seven. Freshman Mikayla Fowler also had two hits for Malone.