Box Score

The Malone University baseball team suffered a tough 9-8 defeat on Sunday afternoon in the finale of its three-game weekend series at Saginaw Valley State (MI) University. 

The Pioneers entered the bottom of the ninth inning holding an 8-6 lead but the Cardinals fought back, using a pair of hits, a pair of walks and a Malone error to rally for the walk-off win.

With the victory, SVSU completed the three-game sweep, improving to 9-18 overall and 6-11 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.  The Pioneers, meanwhile, fell to 15-20 overall and 10-10 in conference games.

After falling behind 6-1 in the early going, Malone stormed back to grab the lead by scoring four runs in the top of the fourth and three more runs in the fifth.  Third baseman Tyler Eagon plated the first two runs in the fourth with a two-run single through the left side of the infield.  After rightfielder Matt Wheeler crossed the plate on a passed ball, second baseman Austin Pachan chased home another run with an RBI single through the right side of the infield.

Eagon came through again in the fifth, tying the game at 6-6 with another RBI single.  Shortstop Kyler King then stepped to the plate and gave the Pioneers their first lead of the afternoon with a run-scoring single.  The Malone advantage later swelled to 8-6 when Eagon trotted home on a Cardinal error.

SVSU opened the ninth with a triple and a walk.  Following a strikeout, the hosts pulled to within 8-7 on an RBI single to center.  Another walk loaded the bases before the next batter of the inning hit a ground ball to third.  Eagon fielded the chopper and tossed it to second base for the second out of the inning.  However, in an attempt to turn what would have been a game-ending double play, the throw from second to first was off the mark, skipping past the first-base bag and allowing the tying run to score from third and the winning run to cross the plate from second. 

Right-hander Taylore Baker started on the mound and tossed the first seven innings, surrendering six runs (three earned) on 10 hits.
 
The Pioneers registered 13 base hits in the contest.  First baseman Logan Gray led the way, going 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored.  Eagon went 2-for-5 at the plate with three RBI's while King and catcher Matt Davis each added a pair of base hits.

Malone will look to bounce back on Wednesday when the squad travels to Ohio Dominican University for a single, nine-inning game starting at 2:00 p.m.